


Shorties - A Collection Of Marvel Stories

by stansebstan



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, One Shot, Other, Tumblr: Writing-prompt-s, Tumblr: imagine-loki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2020-09-07 00:57:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20300812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stansebstan/pseuds/stansebstan
Summary: Just like the title says, this is a collection of short stories I have written based on prompts from vrious sources. Mostly the Tumblr blog imagine-loki and writing-prompts. To be honest, a large number of them is centered about Loki, but I am working on other ones as well. Some are one shots, some are multichapter, but never more than four chapters, I can promise you that. I wil always state the source of the idea.





	1. Melody (Part One)

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt from imagine-loki on Tumblr.
> 
> Imagine you work at a cafe and when you work you like to sing, but it’s usually very quiet. after work one day, a handsome stranger no other than loki, asks you to please sing for him and after a lot of convincing you do, and he’s mesmerised and yeah 💚

He was so sick of the Tower. And of everyone living in it. Their stares, their whispers that suddenly stopped when he entered the room. His brother insisted that they were trying their best, but some things were just hard to forgive.

So he found refuge in a nearby café. It was hidden in one of the smaller alleys, well disguised from the thousands of people passing through the streets of New York City each day. Not really well known like big chain restaurant, it had a very few customers, which made it even better for Loki’s intentions. The rest of the world was missing out on one of the most beautiful gems the city had to offer. The place was utterly perfect - the interior was cosy and welcoming with its brick walls covered in gorgeous watercolour pictures and flowers, the disparate furniture was somehow fitting together as if it was always meant to be, much like the cups that they served their delicious coffees and teas in. There was always gentle piano music playing on the background of chattering of guests and teaspoons clinking against porcelain.

But the main reason he fell in love with the place lied somewhere slightly different. It wasn’t the café itself - he found himself falling for one of the sweet ladies that worked there. She was the one who did most of the work there, always standing behind the bar, conjuring up delightful beverages and serving dessert. The most beautiful mortal he had ever laid his eyes upon; locks of brown hair kept falling to her face no matter how hard she tried to keep them in a ponytail, and despite always making sure to have a handful of hairpins on hand, there was never enough of them. Her skin, sharing colour with his favourite tea, was sprinkled with freckles that covered most of her cheeks and a small part of her forehead, which was sometimes creased with concentration as her brown eyes watched her steady hands creating art in a coffee cup. Her smile seemingly never left her lips, even as she sang to herself. Her voice was what caught his attention the first time he visited the café - he was sitting right beside the bar where she worked her magic, and a few tones of an unfamiliar song found his ears. He immediately straightened his back, looking around as he tried to find the source of the enchanting sound. It sounded closer and closer, and when he looked up, she was walking towards him with his order. She handed it to him with a smile and he thanked her, his heart skipping a beat as their fingers brushed. She didn’t seem to notice anything as she replied with a simple “you’re welcome, sir,” and walked away.

He came to the café nearly every day, always doing everything in his power to hear her voice. He would sometimes bring a book to mask his true intentions, but he never paid attention to it. All that he could focus on was her and her quietly sung songs. He couldn’t care less that he knew none of them, they all became his favourite music in the whole world.

One evening, he finally built up the courage to talk to her. But he couldn’t risk interrupting her from work, so he simply stayed in his spot until closing time. As she walked the last customers to the door and turned the sign to say “closed”, she began singing a little more loudly. She apparently didn’t know he was there. She began cleaning the tables and putting the chairs up, her voice echoing through the now empty café.

“You have a beautiful voice, my lady,” he finally spoke up when she was just a few tables away from him. She gasped, jumping up slightly, cutting the song off.

She stared at him for a moment, then pointed an accusing finger at him: “You’re the-”

“Yes, the man that destroyed half of the city, that’s me. Hello.”

“I was going to say the gentleman who always sits in the corner, but if that’s what you prefer,” she said, shrugging. Her voice was just as nice when she was talking. Loki chuckled, standing up from his chair and walking towards her.

“May I ask for your name?”

“Melody,” she replied, her eyes twinkling.

“Of course,” he laughed. “I’m Loki.”

“I know,” she nodded. “The man that destroyed half the city.”

“You’re the first person not to start throwing sharp objects in my direction while talking about that… incident.”

It was now her turn to laugh. “I’m against violence.”

“That makes it even more surprising.”

“Sounds like you want me to start throwing sharp objects at you.”

“Not at all. This is far more pleasant,” he reached for her hand delicately, brushing his lips against her knuckles. “Would you care to sing for me, lady Melody?”

“I can’t sing in front of people, I’m not a performer.”

“But you always sing with the café full.”

“That’s different. They can’t hear me.”

“I can.”

“That’s just ‘cause you’re some god or whatever.”

“I am a god, indeed, but not of hearing.”

“What are you a god of then?”

“Mischief, my lady.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“Perhaps because you knew from my irresistible charm?”

“I am not singing for you. I don’t even know you! You might be… distracting me while your friends rob the back room.”

“I don’t have friends.”

“Ouch.”

“That’s why I come here actually. The Avengers hate me and I don’t want to be around them all day.”

“Now you’re trying to make me feel sorry for you.”

“Is it working?”

“Maybe.”

“Should I try harder?”

“Okay, fine!” she rolled her eyes, but there was a smirk on her lips. “I’ll sing. But you can’t tell anyone.”

“Who would I tell? I have no friends.”

“Again, ouch.”

He didn’t say anything to that, which left her with no other option than to begin. She looked down at her feet and took a deep breath. But when she opened her mouth to sing, she changed her mind and cleared her throat instead. She looked up at him awkwardly, but he motioned for her to proceed. She gave him one more eye roll before finally beginning.

_Made a home in a basement_

_Didn't think that I'd need the light_

_Cause all these plans I've been making_

_Get me out of here in time_

She closed her eyes and began swaying her hips in an attempt to distract herself, snapping her fingers to the rhythm. He found himself getting absolutely lost in the beauty of her voice. The rest of the world dissolved around them, it was just him and the beautiful woman whose singing enchanted his heart. And now she was dancing too, and he felt himself falling deeper and deeper. The last actual thought he remembered was _I am never gonna hear the end of this if someone finds out._

“Wow, you… weren’t lying,” she said when the song ended. “Impressive for a god of lies.”

“Wha- I-”

“Don’t say anything,” she gently put a finger on his mouth. “I have a feeling you would ruin it.”

She watched him for a moment to make sure he was going to comply. “Truth is,” she began, putting her hand away. “I noticed you listening to me. I actually started singing a little louder just for you. It’s kind of nice having someone liking you so innocently. Before it was usually jerks who hit on me. But you don’t seem like one. So,” she paused, taking a deep breath. “I’m going to kiss you.”

“Now?” he asked, surprised. He certainly did not expect things to go this well.

“Yes,” she whispered, her hands cupping his cheeks gently. Closing her eyes, she leaned in and within barely a second, her lips were on his. He kissed her back, his hands on her hips. He could feel her smiling against his mouth.

“You knew what I was a god of,” he said when the kiss broke. 

“Yeaaah, that was a lie,” she admitted, smirking. “Impressed?”

“Very much so, my little enchantress.”


	2. Melody (Part Two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from imagine-loki on Tumblr.
> 
> Imagine you work at a cafe and when you work you like to sing, but it’s usually very quiet. after work one day, a handsome stranger no other than loki, asks you to please sing for him and after a lot of convincing you do, and he’s mesmerised and yeah 💚

Months after their initial kiss, Loki and Melody were the loveliest couple New York City has ever seen. Ross and Rachel had nothing on them. They usually hung out at the café and then at Melody's place, spending the evenings listening to music and chatting. As they fell asleep together, she would hum along to the songs, getting quieter and quieter as she dozed off. He loved listening to her voice in all forms; singing, talking, even the smallest whispers. And the sounds she made when he touched her in the right place the right way, those were like angels singing just for him. 

For the first time in over a thousand years, he felt happiness that could not be stained by anything in the world. Whenever he looked into her eyes, everything fell right into place like puzzle pieces.

She gave him confidence to pursue friendship with the rest of the Avengers, and he felt forever indebted to her. When he introduced her to them (slowly over time, of course), they all seemed to understand the part she played in him opening up and letting his guard down around them. They teased him slightly about becoming such a lovesick puddle of feelings for her, but everyone was glad that he found someone to melt him down to that. Especially his brother, who realised he had slowly been losing hope, the faith he has always been holding onto when it came to Loki crumbling down. But once he met Melody, all the doubts that had secretly built up in his otherwise confident mind disappeared and he made sure to let her know about that. Each time she came around the Tower, he greeted her loudly and merrily, squeezing her in a tight hug that nearly made her faint a little too often for her liking. Loki always apologised for him, but she only laughed, saying that she was glad that he liked her. "Not many girls can say that," she always joked.

There was only one couple that could theoretically compete with them, but even they admitted that the miracle of Melody was far superior. Hope and Scott might have been a power couple, and could act very lovey dovey, but the adoration Loki had for Melody was unbeatable. When Scott mentioned that to Tony, he scoffed, saying that he had the best puppy eyes whenever he looked at Pepper. But even he gave up when he saw them dancing together in the kitchen one evening. He shook his head and went to his wife, dramatically complaining that their status of the best couple has been stolen. She didn't really react since she wasn't even aware of such title existing.

At one point, Scott and Hope - or the Bugs as some liked to call them - got slightly closer to beating Loki and Melody - also known as Wizards around the Tower - when they got engaged. Everybody got excited as the wedding day approached, except for Melody, who realised that she would not be able to get rid of her shift at the café.

When the day came, Loki rushed into the café, dressed in a black three piece suit. He ran to the counter where Melody was standing, not even greeting her.

"I need you to come with me," he told her, trying to catch his breath, resting his elbows on the surface.

"Babe, I told you I can't go," she sighed.

"No, you really _have _to, it's an emergency," he insisted.

"What?" she frowned, pretending to be wiping the coffee maker clean as to not seem too unprofessional to the handful of guests sitting in the chairs.

"The singer from the band got sick and Hope asked if you could-"

"I really can't, babe," she cut him off. "I'm so sorry, I really wish I could help, but I have to stay here."

"Please, sunshine, there's barely anyone here anyway, I'm sure they would understand. Please."

"I really don't think I should..."

"I'm literally begging you, Melody, please, help us out. Scott agreed to publicly state that we're the better couple."

"I'm not a performer, alright? I can't sing in front of people."

"You've been singing in front of me for months."

"You're one person! And I don't even have anything to wear."

"That will not be a problem. Just... help us, please?"

The puppy eyes broke her. Melody rolled her eyes, then looked around the café with a sigh. It was nearly empty, with only a few regulars sitting in their usual spots. Most of them weren't even drinking or eating, they had finished their coffees ages ago and were now just hanging around, reading books and working on laptops. "Alright, fine. Wait outside, I'll be right out."

They reached the Avengers Tower in no time and Loki rushed her to the large lobby on the top floor where she met the rest of the band. They didn't seem very sure about her, but Loki assured them that she is the best singer he has ever heard. She stayed quiet, not exactly sure what to say. The band insisted they should start warming up as soon as possible, given that they had no idea what she sounded like. Loki agreed, but first he led her to a changing room where an adorable dress waited for her. It was a navy coloured two piece, with printed flowers on the skirt and a lacy top with long sleeves.

"Why does it look exactly like the dress I wanted to wear to my prom?" she asked suspiciously.

"Well, you... dream very loudly," Loki explained.

"What's that even supposed to mean?" she frowned.

"I don't sleep very well, so I watch you dream. I don't even have to try very hard. And once, you dreamt about us dancing somewhere and you had this dress on. I wanted to get it for you so we could make it come true."

"Oh," she choked out, remembering that dream. "You didn't... see the entire thing, did you?"

"I did," he chuckled. "And I'll be honoured to recreate the _whole_ fantasy of yours."

"Shut up," she mumbled, heat coming up to her cheeks. "It's subconscious."

"Don't you worry, sunshine, I'll be happy to help," he assured her, a playful twinkle in his eyes. "May I do your hair now?"

"You sure you know what to do with this beast?" she gestured towards her thick, curly hair.

"Don't forget that I have magic on my side," he smirked and sat her down. "Don't worry, I don't want to get too crazy. I just want to put these flowers in."

"Won't they wilt?"

"Magic, sunshine."

She closed her eyes and allowed him to work. She felt his fingers grazing her scalp as he carefully put in a handful of bobby pins. 

"There. Done," he said after a few minutes. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," she smiled and got up, changing into the dress. "Backless? Really?"

"That's also nothing to worry about, I used some magic on it too."

"You really did think of every detail, didn't you," Melody laughed, lightly kissing him on the lips. "Anything else you have in store?"

"The rest is all just your own beauty, darling," he replied. "I know that the bride should be the most beautiful woman on a wedding, but to me, you'll always be the most stunning person in the room."

"Aw, babe," she gently put a strand of his hair behind his ear. "That was so sweet. I lo- I lost count of how many times you made me feel like this," she corrected herself quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice. 

"Like what?"

"Ah... I... I can't put it into words," she stuttered. "Just... so special."

"Well, that's what I've been going for, sunshine. You _are _special."

"I... I'm really..." she tried to come up with something smooth to reply, but she was still dizzy from the L word almost slipping from her mouth. "I really think we should get back there, don't you?"

"Let's," he agreed, leading her back to the lobby. As he made the band promise to be nice to her (making her blush), he left, claiming that he didn't want to spoil the performance for himself. He blew her a kiss as he walked through the door, making a wide smile creep up her face.

Luckily, the band consisted of very nice people who seemed determined to make this last minute change work. They knew most of the songs she liked to sing and vice versa. Melody's confidence rose as they practiced the opening number; the one for the couple's first dance. The song they chose was perfectly sweet and romantic for the occasion and Melody couldn't wait to see the evening unravel from her nicely high spot on the podium. She loved how the entire room transformed for tonight. She has been there a few times before, both when nothing was happening and when Stark threw one of his famous parties, but never before has it looked this nice. There were clear and white balloons with fairy lights inside them and on their strings, creating a magical atmosphere. And they weren't even lit yet. The podium was decorated with flowers and even more fairy lights. The colours were soft and gentle, the blinds on the windows drawn and partially closed to make it possible for the band to practice comfortably.

The ceremony was happening on one of the lower floors, so they had plenty of time. When the time to start the party came, the blinds closed completely and the fairy lights lit up; they turned out to be on the ceiling as well. That was the cue for the band to start playing the soft notes of the first dance song. The door of the lift opened and in walked Scott, holding Hope in his arms, both smiling widely. Their mouths opened in surprise as they saw how the lobby changed just for them. They looked around as Scott carried Hope to the center of the room, tripping on one of the balloons that were lying on the floor, but managing to find his balance. He put her back to her feet and they stared at each other in adoration for a moment as the guests started arriving from the stairwell, forming a circle around them. There was not that many people, but that only made it more cosy. Once the circle was full, Hope put her arms around Scott's neck and he wrapped his around her waist as they began dancing. Melody waited for her moment and then began singing as she watched the couple:

_We can leave the Christmas lights up 'till January_

_This is our place, we make the rules_

_And there's a dazzling haze,_

_A mysterious way about you dear_

_Have I known you twenty seconds_

_Or twenty years?_

She noticed all the guests in the circle held each other's hands and swayed to the rhythm, making her heart melt. Her eyes found Loki, but he wasn't looking at her. As if he felt her gaze on her, he looked up and smiled, almost making her stumble over her own words. The swarm of butterflies that she had almost forgotten about as time passed came back, flying around even more vigorously than when they first started dating. It might have been the setting, the dim lights and the soft music, the overall atmosphere of the room, but as she sang the second verse and the words _I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want them all_ rolled off her tongue, she realised it was much more. That man right there, she realised, was the one for her. Her very own lover, the daylight that she saw after sleeping so long in the dark night. The king of her heart, body and soul. The best thing that's ever been hers. The one she could never forget existed. The one she could be in the backseat with, drunk on something stronger than the drinks in the bar. The one who would never step on her gown. The one who could never leave; the one who would stay.

As she sang the bridge, she tried her best to make sure he understood what was going on inside her head:

_Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand_

_With every guitar string scar on my hand_

_I take this magnetic force of a man to be my_

_Lover_

He seemed to have understood, judging by the ear to ear smile that made his nose scrunch up adorably. To hide her shaking hands, she held onto the microphone.

_My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue_

_All's well that ends well, to end up with you_

_Swear to be overdramatic and true to my_

_Lover_

Her voice was echoing around the room, resonating with every single person there, passing the emotion around.

_And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me_

_And at every table I'll save you a seat_

_Lover_

She has seen him look at her in many different ways - with sweet adoration when he listened to her singing, with wild amusement when he listened to her work stories, with greedy lust as she undressed him, with painful worry when she couldn't sleep at night because of family struggles, with deep sadness when they argued. But never before was there so much raw emotion in his gaze. So much... love.

Even as she thought of the word, her throat tightened.

The song ended and the newlyweds hugged each other tightly as the guests clapped. They were partially applauding for them, partially for Melody. She bowed slightly, gesturing for them to focus on the couple as another song began.

At least an hour passed before she was able to get off the stage and find Loki. The music was still playing, but both the couple and the guests moved to the bar to get a drink. That's where Melody was headed.

"You were _fantastic_," Tony said. "Why didn't we get you in the first place?"

"I, uh... thank you," she smiled. "I didn't... I wasn't supposed to be here at all. I was supposed to be at work."

"I'm certainly glad that you changed your mind, especially when it was this last minute," he patted her shoulder. "Listen, I'm hosting this charity event next week, would you maybe care to provide music there too?"

"I... I don't know, Tony, this was scary as hell and I know all of you, I can't imagine doing it in front of complete strangers."

"That's completely understandable," he nodded. "Well, if you change your mind, let me know. It would be a huge honour."

"I promise I'll think about it. Would you excuse me for a moment, I'm looking for-"

"There you are," she heard the familiar smooth voice behind her. "You were absolutely incredible, sunshine."

She turned around and instead of replying, she squeezed him in a tight embrace. He chuckled, returning the hug and kissing the top of her head. Their hearts beat against each other, their souls entwining even further.

"May I have this dance, darling?" he asked quietly. She nodded and let him lead her back to the dance floor where they repositioned their hands to start dancing. It didn't matter that they were the only ones there and that the rest of the guests were probably watching them; all that mattered to Melody was the crystal blue of her lover's eyes as they drank in every inch of her face. He could never get enough of her enchanting smile and adorable dimples in her cheeks, or the warmth of her brown eyes surrounded with tiny freckles. The corners of his lips were curled up as he listened to her mindless humming.

The song slowed down even further, inviting them to pull each other closer in a much more intimate manner. Melody laid her head on Loki's shoulder, inhaling his scent as he planted a small kiss to her temple. They lowered their joined hands to make the dance a little more comfortable, Loki drawing small circles with his thumb over the back of her hand.

"I love you, Loki," she whispered when she finally built up the courage, her heartbeat increasing. She looked up at him to see his smile soften as he replied:

"I love you too, sunshine."


	3. The Smell Of Books

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imagine Loki running a library in New Asgard, where the books are heavily enchanted to resist all damage, teleport back to the library if they’re mislaid or overdue, and brutalize people who deliberately try to vandalize them.
> 
> Among the more ‘mundane’ quirks of the library are a giant hologram of Yggdrasil in the foyer (an exact replica of the one from the Hall of Science on old Asgard), an entire floor dedicated to recipe books, and another floor dedicated solely to the works of Terry Pratchett.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from imagine-loki on Tumblr

One would assume that the most fabulous building in New Asgard, Norway, would be the royal palace. One would be wrong.

The palace (which did not resemble a palace in the first place) had  _ nothing  _ on the New Asgard Royal Library, run by prince Loki himself. It was built similarly to the rest of the fairly small town, but it was much taller, much… shinier. It was Loki’s pride and joy, and so it wasn’t really surprising when he quite literally covered the whole place in magical protection.

A particurarly old book susceptible to damage? Not anymore. A patron forgot to return it on time? It teleported back onto its shelf. Someone tried to  _ steal _ a book? Not only did it automatically return as well, but it also bashed the thief on the head.

Unfortunately, the magic considered unregistered patrons thieves too.

And Eira, whose favourite hobby used to be sneaking into the old library, was not aware of that.

Now imagine her surprise when her favourite novel tried to tear itself from her loving hands, and when it succeeded, proceeded to throw itself at her violently.

It was Loki himself who found her among the aisles, screaming and crying for help, trying to shield herself from its painful hits. Loki snapped his fingers, calling the book to his hands. Eira let out one last painful cry, then tried to catch her breath.

“Thank you,” she choked out. “Y-your majesty. Thank you.”

“Thieves are not welcome here, I thought that was general knowledge,” he said, arms crossed on his chest.

“Thieves?” she asked, schocked. “I’m not a thief, sir!”

“The book thinks otherwise,” he said. “So you better explain to me, right now, what you were doing, because you are quite clearly not supposed to be here.”

“I… I just wanted to read a book, that’s all,” she tried to explain without having to mention why. “I didn’t realise I had to… have a permission. I’m so sorry, I’ll… I’ll go home.”

“What’s your name, my lady?” he asked. “I don’t think I have ever seen you before.”

“Eira Arnórsdóttir, sir,” she bowed slightly, staring on the ground. 

“Arnór the blacksmith?” he raised one of his eyebrows. “He has quite a… violent… reputation, does he not?”

Eira’s hand unconsciously went to her hip where her dress hid a rather large bruise. “I… I haven’t heard of anything,” she said, still refusing to look him in the eyes. “I’ll go home now, if you… if you don’t mind, sir. I’m so sorry about the book.”

“Wait,” he said as she tried to squeeze past him, grabbing her by the arm.

“Ow,” she hissed. He looked at her in confusion, but let her go. “Have a good day, your majesty,” she mumbled and left.

The following few days, Loki expected Eira to appear again, but she never did. Well aware of her father’s reputation, he decided to go look for her. One afternoon, he went to his workshop, hoping she would be around.

“Your majesty,” the man greeted him, bowing his head. “What brings you here, to my humble shop?”

“Good afternoon, mister Arnór,” Loki replied with a polite smile. “I am looking for your daughter, Eira.”

“Why, is she in trouble?” Arnór frowned. It wasn’t a concerned frown of a worried father, no, it was angry.

“Heaven’s no,” Loki shook his head. “We met in the Library and I believe she left something there.”

“The Library?” he asked. “What the hell would she be doing in the Library?”

_ Oh no, _ Loki thought.

“Eira, darling!” Arnór shouted inside the house. “Come here!”

In a moment, the young girl walked outside, wearing a dark turtleneck jumper and long trousers of a similar colour. “Yes, father?” she asked. “Oh, your majesty,” she jumped slightly when she noticed him.

“Prince Loki was just telling me about your meeting in the  _ Library _ , my dear,” Arnór told her and her eyes widened in fear.

“T-the Library?” she stuttered. “T-that’s not possible, y-you’re… you’re problably confusing me with s-someone else, your highness.”

“Don’t be rude to our guest, girl!” her father snapped. “Are you accusing prince Loki of lying?”

“N-no!” she gasped, her throat tightening. “I-I’m just saying there must be a misunderstanding, I-I’ve never been to the Library.”

“Well, we’ll talk about that later, sweetheart, won’t we,” he smiled at her, his eyes full of hatred. “I believe his highness wanted to give you something you left there.”

“O-oh,” she choked out. “B-but I really… I wasn’t there.”

“Go on, your highness, give her whatever this little snake lost there,” he ordered him. Loki wanted to get himself - and mostly her - out of it, but even he was intimidated by the man’s glare. He reached into his pocket and fished out a small piece of paper that he wanted to give to her. She took it from him and shoved it into her own pocket, then returned to the house promptly.

“Well, your majesty, thank you for getting back to us,” Arnór said. “But I need to get back to work, so if you’ll excuse me…”

“Of course, good sir,” Loki said. “Have a good day.” 

Eira watched him as he left, and when she was sure her father wasn’t going to go after her any time soon, she read the note -  _ You’re always welcome in the Library. I’ll be there if you need me. _

But she didn’t come there that day. Or the next day. Or the day after. It took nearly a week for her to find a way to escape the house and to enter the Library once more. It was in the middle of the night, when the entire town was sleeping already. Only then could she sneak away from her father’s watch.

She limped into the foyer, choking back painful hisses with each step, her teeth digging into her lower lip. She made it to the base of the beautiful Yggdrasil hologram and sat down there, not really knowing what she was going to do there. She pulled her knees to her chin and stared into the ceiling, desperately trying not to cry.

“Lady Eira,” she heard prince Loki’s voice from somewhere behind her. “I’m so glad to see you alive. I was getting worried.”

She let out a chuckle that came out as more of a sob, tears welling in her eyes. She didn’t see him, but she heard him come closer to her and sit by her side. 

“I got you into trouble, didn’t I?” he asked.

“No, this is what it’s always like,” she shook her head, still not looking at him. “He always finds a reason. If it wasn’t this, he’d probably throw a hammer at me for walking too loudly.”

“But that is… horrible,” he said. “How come no one has found out about it?”

“He is a good actor,” she told him. “And way too popular to be suspected of anything.”

Loki noticed the awkward way she was sitting; all her weight was put on one side of her body. “Are you in pain?”

“N-no, I’m fine,” she said. “I’m used to it.”

“I should take you to the medics,” he said, offering her his hand.

“No, really, I’ll be fine,” she tried to wave her hand dismissively, but the pain that shot through her wrist made her let out a muffled scream.

“Come on, I will not stand for this,” he insisted. “Just take my hand, I will take us there.”

She sighed in defeat and grabbed his hand lightly only for him to squeeze it in reassurance. He closed his eyes and within just a second, they were standing in the New Asgard hospital.

“Your majesty,” a woman greeted him politely. “What brings you here this late at night?”

“Lady Eira’s injuries,” he said, gesturing towards her. The woman looked her over carefully.

“Good gods, what happened to you, my dear?” she asked. “And don’t you tell me you fell down the stairs, this is not how you fall down the stairs. Who did this to you?”

Eira stared into the ground, hoping Loki would speak for her.

“Her father.”

The woman’s eyes widened in shock, but she did not say anything. Instead, she gently grabbed Eira’s hands, making her look up. “Come on, my child, let’s patch you up.”

She led her to an emergency room, mumbling something about  _ never trusting a man. _

“I will come in the morning to see how she is doing,” Loki said, leaving the hospital with anger burning inside him. He couldn’t wait, no - he found the nearest guards and gave them an order to arrest Arnór, two in the morning or not. He wanted to go to his chambers to get some sleep, but his mind would not allow him to rest for even a minute. He ended up inside the hospital again, sitting by Eira’s side and watching her sleep.

“I had to give her Midgardian pain medicine,” the doctor told him. “She will sleep soundly for a long time. She needs to rest.”

“Thank you, madam,” Loki bowed his head. 

“How could this have happened?” she asked. “Her father might be a very strong man, but I never thought he would do something so… so heinous as this!”

“Well, no one would have suspect Odin of being a horrible father either and yet here we are,” he mumbled to himself. The doctor looked at him in confusion, but he simply shook his head dissmissively. 

The morning came with good news - Arnór the blacksmith had been arrested and was put into a holding cell until a trial decided his fate. Not long after that, king Brunnhilde herself stormed into the room.

“What in the name of Odin is this?” she asked him. “Are you seriously going around and arresting our citizens?”

“Your majesty, that man is a danger to all of us,” Loki said. “See for yourself - this is his daughter Eira.”

The king frowned, but took a step closer. Eira was mostly covered with a thick blanket, but her arms and her collarbones were perfectly visible, as were the bruises and scars that stained them.

“Oh gods,” king Brunnhilde mumbled. “He did that to her?”

“Indeed,” Loki nodded. “And those are not even the worse ones. He broke her ribs too. And burned her with something.”

“That motherfucker,” she hissed, making Loki raise his eyebrow in surprise. “I’ve been learning Midgardian language. I thought it was appropriate.”

“Very much so,” Loki smirked. “What do you suggest we do about him?”

“Well, this seems like a pretty clear case, but we still need to put him on a trial,” she sighed. “A public one, so everybody knows.”

“Good idea, your highness,” Loki said.

“Quit that  _ your highness  _ crap, lackey,” she punched his shoulder lightly. He narrowed his eyes at her playfully and smiled.

“As you wish, my king.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“That’s the point of me.”

She left, expressing her hopes for her to get better soon. 

Loki stayed by Eira’s side the whole day, wanting to tell her what he did. When she finally opened her eyes, he smiled.

“Good morning, my lady,” he said. “Or rather good evening.”

“Where am I?” she asked, her voice weak. “I… I can’t be here.”

She tried to sit up, but Loki gently pushed her back. “It is alright, my lady. Your father will not hurt you anymore.”

“Whadyou mean?” she asked, her speech slurred.

“He has been apprehended last night,” he told her. “He is in prison.”

Even though she tried not to let it show, a weight was lifted off her chest as her eyes filled with tears. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

“It had to be done, my lady,” he said. “There is no need to thank me.”

“But there is!” she tried to sit up again, failing. “There is, sir. He is a horrible man! I’ve been scared of him my entire life. He killed my mother!”

“What?” Loki frowned. Guilt suddenly crept up to Eira’s face.

“I… I shouldn’t talk about it,” she mumbled.

“There is going to be a trial soon, if you know of any of his crimes, you should bring them to light,” he said.

“I was just a small child then,” she spoke. “Fifty at most. He used to hit her, like he does to me now. He went too far one day, threw that mallet he uses at work at her and it hit her head. There was… blood everywhere and…” her throat tightened. “She just lied there. In the middle of it. He locked me in my room and went somewhere. When he came back, the floor was clean and she was gone.”

“Gods,” Loki mumbled. “But… how did no one know?”

“Good actor,” Eira said. “Too popular.”

“That’s… that’s absolutely preposterous.”

“It’s always been like that. I used to think it was like that everywhere. Even… even in the royal palace.”

“Well, not physically,” Loki uttered. He noticed her struggle to keep her eyes open. “You should sleep, my lady. You need to rest. I will be here when you wake up, I promise.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said again. “Thank you for saving me.”

“Do not mention it, my dear,” he smiled.

It took a few days for Eira to come back to her full strength, and when she did, it was time for the trial to begin. King Brunnhilde called all Asgardians into the largest hall in the palace where it would take place.

To say that Eira was nervous would be an understatement. She was shaking with fear, horrified of seeing her father there. Of what he would do if he somehow won the judge over and she granted him freedom. Loki, whom she grew quite close to, was there to calm her nerves a little, but even he was worried. He trusted Brunnhilde fully, but there was the smallest possibility that everything could go wrong.

“Asgardians!” the king called, and everybody in the room went silent. “I called you all here on this morning for a purpose. That purpose being the very first trial in New Asgard’s history. It came sooner than I’d hoped, but it would have come anyway,” she took a small pause. “You are all here because I wanted you to see what will happen if someone breaks our fairly benevolent laws. I will be judging the man you all know as Arnór Magnussen for his violent crimes.”

All the people began whispering curiously.  _ What could this good man have done? _

“Arnór, come forward,” Brunnhilde said, turning everybody’s attention to the group of guards leading him to the defendant’s seat. He stood there, hatred seeping from his glare.

“Are you Arnór Magnussen?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Do you know why you are here today?”

“Because the slimy liar that my bratty daughter is accuses me of something.”

“Pretty much,” Brunnhilde nodded. “You have been accused of the abuse of your daughter Eira and of the murder of your late wife Ebba.”

Another wave of confused whispers went around the room.

“Do you plead guilty?”

“I do not, your highness,” he said and everything went painfully silent. Eira’s heart began beating much harder than before. She hoped that maybe if faced with the facts like that, he would admit his crimes. She could feel Loki’s hand on her shoulder and she grabbed it, trying to anchor herself to the awful reality.

“Are you aware that this will lead to a trial?” Brunnhilde asked.

“That I am, your majesty.”

Even the king’s face was full of pain. Her gaze met with Eira’s and she could see her heart break.

“Then I am calling for Eira Arnórsdóttir, the offendant.”

Without really acknowledging it, Eira stood up and walked to the plaintiff’s seat, not too far from her father. He watched her with so much burning anger that she feared he was going to set her on fire with his gaze only.

“Are you Eira Arnórsdóttir?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Is this your father, Arnór Magnussen?”

“Yes.”

“Is this the same man you claim to be physically and mentally abusing you?”

“Yes,” barely any sound came out, so she nodded and tried again: “Yes, your majesty.”

“The same who you claim to have killed your mother, Ebba Eriksdóttir?”

“Yes.”

“Could you describe to the court what exactly he did to you?”

She nodded again and swallowed thickly. “My father… t-the defendant hit me with b-both his own hands and with t-things he found around the house.”

“What sort of things did the defendant use?”

“Anything, really,” she said. “Plates, cups, cutlery… metal scraps from his shop…”

“And did he hit you with them, or did he throw them at you?”

“Depending on what it was,” she explained. “And on how far I was from his reach.”

“How often did this take place?”

“Nearly every day,” he whispered, feeling tears as they streamed down her cheeks. “For over nine hundred years.”

“Did he use to hit your mother Ebba as well?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“Is that how she died?”

“Yes, your majesty,” she said. “He got angry one night and threw a big hammer at her head.”

“Defendant, is this true?” the king turned to Arnór.

“Not in the slightest, your highness,” he shook his head. “I’m a strong man, yes, but I could never hurt a woman, especially not the woman I loved.”

“I see we have some very differing statements here,” she said. “Thank you, lady Eira. I now call lady Hlíf Oskarsdóttir, lady Eira’s doctor.”

The woman that had been taking care of Eira for the past days came forward, earning surprised gasps from everybody present. 

“Are you Hlíf Oskarsdóttir, the doctor on duty when lady Eira came to the hospital with severe injuries?”

“That would be me, your majesty,” she nodded.

“Tell us a little about the injuries, please.”

“Very well,” she nodded. “There were all kinds. A large number of bruises, a few burns, some cuts, one stab wound and three broken ribs. There was also quite a lot of scars and some incorrectly healed bones from the past.”

“And how do you reckon she got all of these?”

“This is not the kind of injuries you get when you fall down the stairs,” she repeated her words from the first night in the hospital. “She has been attacked, multiple times, with objects dull and sharp.”

“Thank you, lady Hlíf,” the king nodded. “Defendant, do you have anything to say?”

“Lies. All lies,” he insisted.

“Is that all?”

“Well, yes.”

“Asgardians,” she turned to the audience. “Need you hear more to judge this man’s crimes?”

No one said anything, no one asked any further questions.

“Then tell me,” she said. “Is there anyone in favour of him?”

No one. Not one single hand raised.

“And who believes the words of his daughter and her doctor?”

Everybody’s hand shot up into the air. Tears blurred Eira’s vision, but for the first time, they were tears of happiness.

“Arnór Magnussen, please rise from your seat,” she waited for him to comply. “You have been accused of the abuse of your daughter Eira and of the murder of your late wife Ebba. The people have claimed you guilty. Since New Asgard does not believe in violence, I hereby sentence you to a lifetime in prison.” 

Had Eira not still been paralysed by fear, she would have jumped in pure delight. Instead, she let out a strangled sigh of relief and closed her eyes tightly.

“You won, my dear,” she heard Loki’s voice next to her ear as the guards took Arnór out. “You won.”

“I can’t believe it,” she whispered. “It can’t be true.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like me to write a follow up chapter, let me know! 🥰


	4. The Original Snek And The Misunderstood Murder Spagurder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Crowley meet and upon realising how much they have in common, Loki attempts to seduce the incredibly handsome demon. What does the very-much-deeply-in-love-with-his-(im)mortal-enemy demon do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is based on the "Nope Ropes, Sneks, & Danger Noodles" video by Lucidchart. I highly recommend you watch it if you have not.

Two immortal beings with a strange fondness for snakes and quite the cynical attitude towards authority, which they have acquired thanks to years and years of belittlement and ridicule, walk into a bar. Not together, separately, about fifteen minutes apart.

While both of their personalities could be described as mischievous, chaotic, disruptive and condescending;  _ demonic _ to sum it up, only one of them is an actual demon. His name is Crowley and he is the first one to enter the room. He sits down at a corner table, trying not to attract attention to himself. He doesn’t really have to bother trying though, for just not wanting to be noticed was enough for him to become practically invisible to those around him. It’s just something he can do by nature - having things happen (or not happen) just by willing it. His long fiery hair is tied in a half bun, not daring to even try and fall in his eyes, which are shielded from the world by dark glasses. He sits quietly, sorting through his busy mind that is just  _ this _ close to exploding from the six thousand years of being way too smart for all this crap.

The other man, although not born in hell, is certainly someone who is more likely to be called a demon by an unknowing bystander - the god of mischief, the younger brother of Thor, Loki himself. He looks around with not much interest, but then his eyes spot the handsome stranger in the corner. Unlike the rest of the patrons, he is not human, and since Crowley does not expect anyone but them, the magic does not work on him. Loki watches him long enough for the demon to notice his shameless stare. Their eyes meet and Crowley raises his eyebrows. Loki smirks and walks to him, gesturing towards the empty seat across from him. Crowley nods and the god sits, untying his scarf and shrugging his coat off in the process.

“I wouldn’t think I would run into a magician down here on this realm,” Loki remarks.

“I’m not certain I would call myself a  _ magician _ ,” Crowley replies. A waiter approaches their table and before Crowley can say anything, Loki orders a bottle of wine and two glasses. The man frowns in confusion, but doesn’t question anything, leaving them and returning within just a moment.

“Are you expecting company, sir?” the man asks. Loki simply smiles and watches as he pours two glasses of wine. The waiter leaves again and Loki turns to the demon.

“What is your name, if I may ask?” he says. “I have heard many stories about many powerful magicians, but you do not seem to… what’s the expression the mortals use? Hit a gong?”

“Ring a bell,” Crowley corrects him.

“Same thing,” Loki waves his hand dismissively. “You have to be truly powerful and… ancient, if I may say so, to be able to perform such magic without having to concentrate, and you seem to not even be doing anything. Yet I am sure I have never heard of you. And trust me, handsome men never fail to grab my attention.”

The demon does not know what part of the compliment to focus on - the part about the effortless magic? Or the other one, which made him feel quite out of place, in the same way he always felt with his angel around?

“Name’s Anthony,” he says, deciding to ignore them both. Loki’s eyes narrow slightly.

“That’s not a name for a powerful magician,” he points out. 

“It is your choice whether you believe me or not,” Crowley shrugs.

“That is a fair point,” Loki admits. “Well then. I have many names, but I prefer to call myself Loki. What a pleasure to meet you, Anthony.”

Loki raises his glass towards the demon and waits for his reaction.  _ What the heck, _ he thinks, not wanting to invoke Hell’s name, and grabs his own glass, gently clinking it with the god’s.

“What brings you to this realm, Anthony?” Loki asks after taking a small sip of the wine.

“I live here, actually,” he says, mentally slapping himself for trusting this complete stranger.

“Really?” Loki raises his eyebrows in surprise. “This may sound a little intrusive and… anti-Earth, but  _ why _ ?”

“It’s not like I had a choice,” he mumbles, turning to the side in an attempt to escape Loki’s burning gaze. The god notices what appears to be a picture of a coiled snake next to the demon’s ear.

“Are you fond of snakes?” he asks curiously.

“You could say that,” Crowley replies with a tiny smirk. “You?”

“Very much so,” Loki nods. “Not as much as my brother, however.”

“Your brother?” Crowley wonders. 

“I’m sure you have heard of Thor,” Loki scoffs. “I’m his… adoptive brother. As a child, I liked to turn into a snake and… terrorise him, in a way.”

“Why have I never thought of that?” Crowley mumbles, thinking of all the times he tried to scare Aziraphale.

“You turn into a snake too?” Loki asks curiously, resting his elbows on the table and leaning towards Crowley.

“I  _ am _ a snake,” Crowley says. “And I turn into… this.”

“Oh,” Loki says, a mix of surprise and curiosity in his voice. “That is quite intriguing. Care to tell me more?”

Crowley hears his mind fighting with itself, debating whether or not to trust this man and his near irresistible charm.

“Ever heard of the Garden of Eden?” he asks, his defences falling.

“That ridiculous little story about humanity’s creation?” Loki raises his eyebrows. “Why yes, I have. I find myself fond of stories in general, and the naivety of those from Midgard are sometimes a nice change from those native in Asgard.”

“Yeah, well, it’s true,” Crowley says, taking a dramatically long sip of his wine. “And you are looking at the Serpent of Eden itself.”

“You jest,” Loki chuckles. “The Serpent that tempted the first woman to the first sin?”

“The one and only,” Crowley nods.

“I’m sure this form would have made it hundred times easier, no?” Loki asks cheekily. “I mean, what woman, no matter how wise, could resist such charm?”

“Even in this form, I happen to have a… quite a distinctive snakey feature that would probably ruin all attempts,” Crowley says, a hint of sadness in his words as he once again ignores the god’s compliment.

“Try me,” Loki says, leaning back in his chair. Crowley looks at him for a moment, then sets his glass down. Gently, he grabs his shades by the hinges and slides them off his face. He waits for Loki’s reaction, but to his surprise, his face does not change.

No, it does, actually. His jaw clenches and his pupils dilate ever so slightly.  _ Is that man  _ ** _into me_ ** _ ? _

“Well, Anthony,” he says slowly, his voice just a tinge deeper. “I am very…  _ pleased  _ to tell you that I myself could never be driven away by such rarity, rether, I would probably find myself tempted by it instantly.”

Crowley swallows dryly, suddenly very aware of everything. Of the dark, intimate setting of the pub, of the man’s strange closeness and openness despite still leaning back and his arms being crossed on his chest, of the light buzz the wine caused his brain to feel. Only now does he realise that it was no ordinary wine. He puts his glasses back on and closes his eyes for a brief moment, willing for the alcohol to be banished from his system without the god noticing. Now that his mind is as clear and sharp as ever, he sets on letting him know he is barking at the wrong tree.

“I wouldn’t know,” he says. “Temptations never worked on me.”

Loki’s eyes twitch slightly. “Is that the case, my snake friend?”

“Unfortunately,” he nods. Crowley cannot tell what the god thinks, so he feels a sense of relief when he smiles and uncrosses his arms and instead crosses his legs.

That afternoon, they each gained something they would have never expected to get. Crowley, who expected nothing at all, found a soul that was just as lost as he was. Loki, who was looking for some intimacy, actually stumbled upon it, but it was of such a different kind it took his breath away.

Two immortal beings with a strange fondness for snakes and quite the cynical attitude towards authority, which they have acquired thanks to years and years of belittlement and ridicule, walk into a bar. Not together, separately, about fifteen minutes apart. Out they walk side by side, with mischievous smirks on their faces; two newfound friends that are very much aware of the chaotic potential their bond carries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to ship these two, but knowing how loyal Crowley is to his angel, I just… I don’t know man. I wanted to write their meeting anyway. And an attempt on them being romantically involved.


	5. Safe & Proud

_ **DISCLAIMER** _ _: This chapter speaks of gender other than cis and sexuality other than hetero. If you are not okay with that, please, do not read and leave in peace. The second I spot a homophobic or transphobic comment, it will be deleted. If the same person tries again, they shall be blocked mercilessly. This is a safe space for everybody and no bullying will be tolerated under any circumstances._

**_Prompt_**_: imagine Loki feeling female one day and __shape shifting__ accordingly. Someone makes a mention of how you, __his__ girlfriend, would react to __her__ "current state", eventually leading her to feel a little __insecure__ about whether or __not_ _you'll__ accept this side of her._

_From imagine-loki on Tumblr._

** _DISCLAIMER 2: _ ** _I am not genderfluid myself, so it is possible that my depiction is not entirely correct. If you happen to see some inaccuracies, please let me know and I shall correct them._

_ **Characters** _ _: Loki, the Avengers, you_

_ **Type** _ _: Fluff_

_ **Warnings** _ _: Language and sexual implications._

** _Notes_ ** _: I am well aware that Pride Month is almost over, but ours isn't until August, which I have no idea why. Anyway. Whoever you are and whoever you love, know that you deserve happiness and safety and love much like the other person does. Love and peace to all human beings <3_   
  


When Loki woke up that morning, he wasn't feeling... well, _he_. That day, Loki's mind saw the world as a woman. Making sure to make the body's appearance match the mindset, she shapeshifted accordingly. Looking at her entire figure in the mirror, she realised she didn't own any women's clothes, and the men's ones just didn't fit her. She rummaged through her closet and found a dress that Y/N must have left behind. She sighed and put it on, noticing that it actually fit her quite well, though it was a little shorter than it was probably meant to be. Smiling to herself, she left the bedroom and headed to the kitchen to make herself her everyday cup of tea.

As she was stirring sugar into her beverage, she heard footsteps near her.

"Damn, did Steve finally get laid?" Tony's voice asked her. She turned around rapidly, murdering him with her glare. "Holy shit!" he gasped. "Reindeer Games?"

"Good morning to you too, Anthony," she greeted him, folding her arms on her chest. "You were saying?"

"I... I'm sorry," he stuttered. "What's... why are you..."

"I'm a woman today," she shrugged.

"Oh... okay," he mumbled and began preparing his own breakfast in silence. "Does Y/N know?" he wondered after a few minutes.

"I haven't seen her yet," she explained.

"You sure she won't freak out?" he raised his eyebrows. "I mean, you haven't been together that long, but... you know, this is a kind of thing that be... problematic."

"Is it?" she stopped dead in her tracks. She didn't even consider that. Among gods, her condition was rare, yes, but accepted as a pretty normal thing. After all, they were ancient magical beings. It never came to her mind that humans could be less accepting.

"Yeah, I mean..." Tony sighed. "It depends on the person really, but there's many people who struggle because of this kind of thing. Ever heard of the Pride?"

Tony spent the morning explaining human's relationship with gender and orientation. He showed her many clips of these Pride Parades, which seemed to be celebrating the rarities such as herself. But he also showed her what people did when they disagreed. When they saw differently gendered people as monsters, nature's flaws, freaks. She nearly broke into tears when she read what some people were capable of. It made her wonder whether Y/N would be understanding enough, the fear eating her alive.

As if on cue, a group walked into the kitchen, consisting of her brother, Captain Rogers, James Barnes, Samuel Wilson, and Y/N. They all went for a run each morning, insisting that a group jog was much more fun than a solo one.

"Good morning, sister!" Thor greeted her before she could do anything. Hide under the table perhaps. The rest of the group froze, Y/N included. She stared at her, her mouth hanging open slightly, the shock in her eyes slowly changing into pure anger. Loki's throat tightened and she turned away, staring into her cup.

"Why the fork does my dress look so much better on you than it ever has on me?" she asked.

She turned back, tears in her eyes, confused. "What?"

"You look absolutely amazing!" she exclaimed. "That's my favourite dress, I thought no one could ever wear it better! Rude!"

"Maybe 'cause his... her legs are kinda longer," Sam suggested.

"Hey!" Y/N's head whipped around. "That's my girlfriend you're talking about, asshole."

Y/N's words made Loki's heart flutter and a smile creep up her face. She watched as Sam tried to defend himself, rambling hopelessly. She caught Y/N's eye and smiled even wider. Y/N dismissed Sam and walked over to her, grinning.

"So, girlfriend," Y/N whispered softly. "Were you ever going to tell me about this, or was I supposed to find out like this?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise that you Midgardians don't... that it's not considered normal here," Loki tried to explain herself. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"Offend me?" Y/N frowned. "Why should it offend me?"

"I... Stark showed me some... videos of what people sometimes think about... people like me," she stuttered. "And what they do."

"Babe," Y/N sighed and gently cupped Loki's cheeks. "Yeah, there are people like that. And they suck. But me and the rest of this team, we would never, never, hurt you, do you hear me?" she asked gently, putting a strand of hair behind Loki's ear. "Not in a million years. You're safe with us. With me."

A tear slipped down Loki's cheek as she blinked. "And it wouldn't... change what we are?"

"Of course not, darling," Y/N smiled. "You think I was with you this whole time just for that dick?"

Loki chuckled, blush coming up her cheeks.

"That would be pretty shallow of me, wouldn't it?" she continued. "I mean, it was a pretty impressive bonus, but..." Loki laughed out loud this time, the rest of the tears falling down. "You know, it wasn't the point."

There was now a genuine smile on Loki's lips.

"That's much better, isn't it?" Y/N asked, leaning in to kiss her tenderly, noting how much softer her lips felt now.

The rest of the people were still in the kitchen as well, politely trying to ignore them, but failing for the most part. When the couple noticed their barely masked side glances, Y/N smirked.

"Darling, how about we get out of here and go shopping?" she suggested. "As much as I adore that dress on you, you need your own clothes."

"That sounds like fun," Loki nodded. Y/N grinned widely and grabbing Loki's hand, they ran out of the kitchen towards Y/N's room. "I need to take a shower first, I stink," she explained and disappeared into the bathroom. Loki sat on Y/N's bed and waited, listening to the sound of her singing from the shower and smiling. A massive weight was lifted off of her chest, her heart swelling with relief and happiness.

She looked around the room - she knew it well, she had spent many nights there before, just as many as Y/N had spent in her room, but through woman's eyes, she saw it differently. She noticed a little desk with a big mirror and make up sprawled all over it.

"Y/N?" she called.

"Yes, babe?" Y/N responded after turning the water off.

"Would you mind if I borrowed your make up?" she asked shyly.

"No, not at all, help yourself," Y/N said. "I'll be out in a moment, I just need to dry my hair."

"Thank you," Loki smiled to herself and sat down in front of the mirror.

She soon found out that it was much more complicated than she had anticipated. Mascara seemed to want to go everywhere but her eyelashes, the colours didn't suit her and she nearly stabbed her eye out with eyeliner. And not to mention the disaster that the lipstick caused.

"You're hopeless, aren't you?" she heard Y/N's voice from behind her. Their eyes met in the mirror and she could see how hard she was trying to fight back a smirk.

"I... I've never tried using these before, I just thought I'd wing it," she explained, looking down at her hands with smears of different colours.

"Would be much simpler if it were like that, wouldn't it," Y/N chuckled and pulled a chair next to her. "Here, let me," she mumbled, grabbing a bottle of make up remover and a few cotton balls. She gently rubbed Loki's failed attempt away before starting over.

"You're a lot paler than me, that's why the colours don't quite fit," she explained. "It's not like you really need make up when your skin is that flawless anyway. We can get you your own if you'd like though."

Loki didn't say a word, worried that if she moved even in the slightest, she would ruin Y/N's work. She felt her fingers grazing her skin and different brushes move around and enjoyed the sensations.

"Ta-da!" Y/N grinned. "What do you think?"

Loki opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. It was definitely better than what she had attempted first - the mascara was where it belonged, the eyeliner was perfectly straight and the lipstick that Y/N had chosen fit her much better.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I... I feel beautiful now."

"You shouldn't need make up for that, babe, you are gorgeous," Y/N smiled, lightly pecking her lips, careful not to smear the lipstick. "Like seriously. You're just... wow. That's perfection right there."

"Do you really think so?" Loki wondered.

"Of course, hot stuff," she insisted. "You have everything a girl could want regarding looks. I'm not sure if I want to bang you or be you."

Loki blushed for the second time that day. "Sh-shall we go then?" she stuttered.

"Sure," Y/N nodded.

They went to the mall together, spending the entire day just wandering around, trying on clothes that they deemed nice. Y/N was swooning over Loki the whole time, which made her feel a lot better about the whole situation. The adoration in her eyes was something she was not used to.

They even went to a lingerie store, a place that she had never thought she would visit. They both got a few things for themselves, helping the other one pick the best looking ones.

"By the way," Y/N said from the changing room. "Do you prefer a different name in this form or is calling you Loki still fine?"

"No, Loki is fine," she replied while checking herself in the mirror.

"Great," Y/N grinned. "Didn't wanna be saying a wrong name tonight."

"Heaven's sake, Y/N," Loki rolled her eyes, but there was a playful smile on her lips.

"Oh, that sounds lovely," Y/N continued flirtatiously. "Remember that for me please. I want to put these pretty little things to use as soon as possible if that's okay with you."

"Absolutely, darling," Loki chuckled.

And truthfully, that night, Loki's name echoed from her bedroom walls, along with whispered profanities and _Heaven's sake, Y/N._  
  


A few months later, Loki, this time in his male form, took Y/N for a walk around the city. After all, it was a beautiful day; the sun was shining and there were only a few fluffy white clouds on the gorgeous blue sky. But it confused her significantly, seeing that he hated going out and he didn't really know the city. But whenever she tried to ask about it, he shushed her, smirking mischievously, which only made her curiosity rise.

"Come on, do you really think I'm buying the just a walk bullshit?" she tried again. "I'm not dumb. I mean, I am incredibly dumb, but not like this. What's going on, babe?"

"Well, we're almost there now, so I might as well tell you," he sighed in defeat.

"Almost where?" she frowned.

"Do you remember how Stark showed me what people did to people like me?" he asked.

"Of course I do," she nodded. "Oh! We're going to burn some asshole's house down, aren't we?"

"No, darling, although I would love to do that," he grinned. "No. But I decided that it's absolutely unacceptable. So I decided to help."

"How?" she wondered.

"With Stark's help, I bought a house," he began explaining. "And I turned it into a secret hideaway for those who find themselves in danger because of who they are and who they love. And no asshole can ever find it."

"So... how do the ones in need find it if it's so secret?" she questioned.

"Brilliant question, love," he smiled. "It is protected by magic. Only those who need it can find it. When they get, for example, kicked out of their home because of their identity, they will be drawn to the house without even realising. They will just sort of... wander in. And they will be safe until they are ready to leave. Or they don't have to. They can stay forever."

"But... there's so many queer people who need help, can they fit?"

"That's another great trick," he told her. "Strange helped me with that one. It is always big enough on the inside, no matter how small the outside might seem."

"You built a forkin' TARDIS and you didn't tell me?!" she gasped. "Okay. So it's big enough. But what if there's a gay kid in, like, Nevada? Can they get in too?"

"Absolutely," Loki nodded. "It actually transcends this reality in a way. The entrances are all over this world. I modelled it after Yggdrasil.*"

"Oh my God," she choked out. "You... you just singlehandedly saved the world."  
"I wouldn't exactly use that phrase-"

"No, you did!" she insisted, throwing herself at him and squeezing him in a hug. "You took one of the biggest struggles of modern humanity and solved it just like that. You're the best person to ever walk the Earth and you're not even from the Earth."

"You haven't even seen the house yet, love," he laughed, kissing the top of her head. "Come on, we're almost there."

He led her through the suburbs of New York, full of rich people's homes. At the end of one street, she spotted a building that wouldn't be much different from the rest, save it for the gigantic rainbow flag hanging from the balcony.

"Are you sure The Straights will completely miss this place?" she asked. "This is pretty obvious to me."

"Don't worry, only those who are meant to see it will," he explained. "Every possible threat has been accounted for. This is the safest place on Earth."  
  


_*this is a reference to the Magnus Chase book series, not actual Norse mythology. In the series, the world tree Yggdrasil weaves through all realms and can be accessed through various points all over Midgard._

_Wouldn't it be lovely if something like this was real?_


	6. It's Okay Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky finds out that in the 21st century, it’s okay for men to wear makeup, nail polish, and glitter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what I always say. Love to all human beings. I will tolerate zero bullying and hatred in my comments.

It was a quiet weekend. Nearly everyone was gone - some went on a holiday with families, some were gone for missions. There were two people inside the Avengers Compound - Bucky Barnes, who passed on a road trip with Sam and Steve, and Eleri Prichard, who simply didn’t feel like leaving. She sat (if that’s what her position could be called - she was sprawled in the chair perpendicularly to the way one was supposed to sit, her legs resting on the armrest of the other chair) in the cinema room, lazily browsing through Netflix, stuffing her mouth with salted caramel popcorn. 

“Mind if I join you?” asked Bucky from the door. She turned, her spine twisting unnaturally.

“Not at all, come on in,” she grinned widely. “Unless you mind me sitting like a big ol’ lesbian.”

“I sure as hell don’t,” he said and sat next to her. “What are we watching?”

“Queer Eye.”

Bucky flinched visibly. “You said  _ queer _ ?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Isn’t it… a bad… word?”

“Not anymore,” she told him. “We took it back from ‘em.”

He stayed silent for a while. “When?”

Eleri thought back to the extensive research she did in her teen years. “The eighties.”

They watched the show in silence, Bucky remembering all those times the word was spat into his face when he was young, along with other ones with similar weight.

“And it’s… normal for men to look like that?” he gestured towards Jonathan, who was dressed like his usual fabulous self.

“I mean, it’s not the  _ norm _ , but tons of guys dress up now,” she said, pausing the show. “Why?”

“I never… when I was younger, I… I always wished…”

“Oooh,” she realised. 

“Yeah,” he mumbled, swallowing the painful lump in his throat.

With a groan, she changed her position so she was now sitting like a normal person, turning to face him. “James Buchanan Barnes, it would be an honour to give you the glamorous makeover you deserve.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely.”

“Eleri… something…”

“Carol-Anne,” she finished for him.

“Eleri Carol-Anne Prichard,” he chuckled. “It would be an honour to have you give me a glamorous makeover.”

“That you deserve.”

“That I… deserve.”

“That’s my man, now come on,” she patted him on the shoulder and jumped up from her seat, offering him her hand. She dragged him upstairs to her room and sat him on the bed.

“You can’t ever tell anyone that you got all this from me,” Eleri told him as she pulled out a makeup bag from one of her drawers. “I have a reputation to uphold here, and if someone found out how much of this shit I have, it would shatter.”

“Roger that,” Bucky nodded with a smirk. Eleri threw the bag on the bed and sat down opposite of Bucky, crossing her legs.

“So,” she said. “Want just something small or full-on glam?”

“Uh… how about somewhere halfway?” he suggested.

“Smart move,” she agreed. “Just the basic stuff and a teeny tiny bit of glitter?”

“Sounds wonderful.”

For about twenty minutes, they were both silent as Eleri worked on glamming up Bucky’s face. With his eyes closed, he enjoyed the soft brushes sweeping around his cheeks, nose, forehead and eyes.

“Pucker up,” was the first thing Eleri said. “I’m gonna put on some lipgloss.”

Bucky complied, making Eleri burst out laughing immediately. “Not this much, genius.”

“Shut up,” he rolled his eyes.

There was another brief silence until Eleri said: “There. Done.”

Bucky tried to turn around to see himself in the big mirror on Eleri’s wardrobe, but she stopped him. “Nu-uh. Not  _ done. _ We need to do your nails and pick you an outfit. Show me your nails.”

Bucky reluctantly gave her his hands. She took them into hers, bringing them close to her face. “You really need to stop biting ‘em.”

“I don’t do that.”

“Yes you do.”

“No.”

“Then what’s this?” she asked, shoving his own hand right in front of his eyes. “If that’s not you biting ‘em, then who? A perverted ghost?”

“I do it in my sleep,” he mumbled. “I… have bad dreams. And then wake up with bloody fingertips.”

Eleri bit her lip. “Sorry, didn’t mean to be rude.”

“‘S okay.”

“Maybe you could… sleep with gloves on,” she suggested. “You know, like mittens.”

“Or boxing gloves,” he smirked.

“I mean, sure,” she shrugged. “I’m pretty sure not even super soldier teeth could bite through those. Come on, let’s fix these bad boys.”

It took some time and squirming and writhing, but after that, Bucky’s nails looked almost like he had always been grooming them. However, he couldn’t help but voice his disdain for the nail file.

“It just feels weird!”

“Better get used to it if you want decent looking nails.”

“I hate it.”

“Everyone does in the beginning. At least you don’t have long ones, you do  _ not _ want to hear the sound that makes.”

“Gross.”

“Shut up. And stop moving or your whole hand will be pink.”

“Why does it smell so awful?”

“‘Cause it’s nail polish. And you need to stop whining or I’ll put it somewhere you would not like it.”

“I don’t like it now anyway.”

“Shut your piehole, Barnes.”

As he waited for the colour to dry properly, Eleri went to her wardrobe to find him some clothes.

“Are you sure your stuff will fit me?” he asked doubtfully.

“Haven’t you  _ noticed _ how I dress?” she scoffed. “My clothes will fit you just fine, trust me. And if not, I might have some that my exes left behind.”

“How’s your dating life anyway?”

“Ugh,” she rolled her eyes. “Everyone ends up ditching for someone  _ normal _ ,” she said. “What about you?”

“Like you don’t know,” he sighed. “The general public hates me and I don’t think dating on the team would be a good idea.”

“Loki has a thing for you,” she told him as she rummaged through her clothes. Bucky’s breath hitched.

“What thing?” he asked, feeling heat creep up into his cheeks.

Eleri turned around with a completely blank face. “You cannot be serious.”

“Well, I, uh-”

“He flirts with you like mad literally every time you two are in the same room!” she exclaimed. “And you flirt back, don’t argue with me.”

“I don’t f-”

“Oh my god,” she sighed dramatically. “You really are a disaster, aren’t you.”

“I thought he liked Wanda?”

“He did for a bit, but then he found out about her and Vis and decided to back off,” Eleri explained.

“Those two really love each other, don’t they?”

“Do not change the subject, James!” she scolded him. “You really haven’t noticed that Loki has a huge crush on you?”

“No, I have not.”

“You’re literally the only person that makes him blush!”

“Am I?”

Eleri groaned in frustration. “You’re the worst. What do you think about this jumper?”

Bucky, shocked by her sudden change of tone, stared at her with his eyes wide. “What?”

“Jumper. Do you like it?” she asked again.

“Why are you calling it a  _ jumper _ ?” he frowned.

“Because that’s what it is.”

“That’s a sweater.”

They didn’t settle on what it should be called, but they did agree that it would look nice on Bucky. Realising that his nails were still a little sticky, Eleri decided to help him put it on.

“Look at me, undressing a guy,” she laughed as she unbuttoned his shirt. “My parents would be so proud.”

Bucky chuckled. “Are they… not okay with you dating women?”

“They’re tolerating it at best,” she shrugged. “Raise your arms and press your lips together, you don’t want the lipgloss go everywhere.”

He did as he was told, allowing her to put the jumper on without major issues.

“And now for the final touch,” Eleri grinned, pulling a flower crown out of her closet.

“Are you sure?” Bucky frowned.

“Just try it on, I’m certain you’ll look cute as shit,” she insisted as she put it on his head. A few final adjustments and- “Oh my god you look gorgeous.”

“Can I look now?” he asked.

“Please do.”

She stepped out of his way so he could finally see himself in the huge mirror on her wardrobe. He took a few steps forward so he could get a better look and his jaw dropped ever so slightly.

When he wasn’t speaking for quite a long time, Eleri started to worry. “Do you… not like it? I can redo it if you’d like.”

“I love it,” he finally said.

“Really?” she asked. “Are you absolutely sure? I have plenty other colours in the-”

“Pink’s my favourite,” he smiled at her. “Always has been.”

For a few more moments, none of them said a word. “Thank you,” Bucky finally spoke up once more. “I’ve always wanted to feel like this.”

“You can borrow my stuff any time,” Eleri said. “As long as you don’t tell anyone I’m your provider.”

“May I hug you?”

“Hell yes.”

They embraced each other tightly and out of sheer joy, Eleri lifted Bucky up and spun him around, letting out a tiny gleeful squeal.

“I forgot how strong you are,” he chuckled once she put him down.

“Stupid strong, I know,” she smirked.

For the rest of the day, the two of them stayed in Eleri’s room, looking for inspiration and references for future experiments. They listened to some “aggressively gay” music, as Eleri called it, and talked about dating. They ended up in the cinema room again, watching dumb rom coms.

“Mind if I join you?” said a voice from the doors. They turned to see Loki, lazily leaning against the frame with his hands in his pockets.

“Come on in,” Eleri grinned, winking at Bucky cheekily. “I’ll go get more snacks, you can take my seat.”

Bucky glared at her, but before he could protest, she was gone, shoving Loki next to him.

“Sargeant Barnes,” Loki greeted him with a polite nod, pointing at the seat.

“Loki,” he replied and gestured for him to freely take the seat. Instead of sitting, however, Loki continued inspecting his face. Bucky wanted to ask him what he was looking at, but before he could, Loki spoke: “You look… happier, Sargeant.”

“Oh, I, uh…” Bucky stuttered. “Thank you?”

“The flowers suit you,” Loki smiled ever so slightly.

_ Oh God, oh shit, oh fuck, _ Bucky thought, feeling as if he was about to spontaneously combust. _Oh for the love of Jesus, he really is flirting. Oh merciful Lord, what do I do?_

Loki finally sat down, glueing his eyes to the screen. Bucky really hoped he couldn't hear his heart pounding in his chest and his stupid fast breathing. He couldn't help but glance at the man next to him every once in a while, suddenly feeling stupid about the flashy colours. He reached up and tried to take the flower crown off.

"What are you doing?" Loki frowned.

"It's, um, it's falling into my eyes," Bucky said.

"That's no reason to take it off, here," Loki shook his head and turned his whole body to face him, raising his hands up to Bucky's face. "May I?"

"Uh, sure," Bucky replied barely audibly and allowed the god to fix his hair. _Damn you, Eleri, why did you have to put that on me,_ he thought.

"Better?" Loki asked.

"Uh-huh, yeah," Bucky nodded absent-mindedly.

"Would be a shame if you took it off, it makes you look like a faery," Loki said.

"Thanks, I... it was Eleri's idea," Bucky mumbled.

"I shall thank her for it then," Loki winked and returned to watching the film as if nothing had happened. _Oh for heaven's sake._

Bucky sat silently, trying to think of a response, but his brain seemed to have stopped functioning completely. "You, um, you look great too. Green is really... your colour." _Jesus fucking Christ, Barnes._

"Thank you, Sargeant," Loki said. "It is, after all, my favourite."

"That's a... great choice," Bucky said, immediately feeling the urge to kick his own butt. _Just shut up already._

Loki chuckled. Bucky noticed him licking his lips and his throat tightened.

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" Eleri shouted as she re-entered the room with a bowl of popcorn. "JUST FUCKING SNOG ALREADY!"


	7. I Want Your Midnights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on Taylor Swift's "New Year's Day"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amid the mess 2020 has been, why don't we go back to the beginning and pretend everything is fine.

Y/N opened her eyes; her eyelids were stuck together and her vision blurry. She rubbed the sleep dust away and blinked a few times. What she saw above herself was not the ceiling of her bedroom and she frowned. She sat up and her head spun around painfully. She shut her eyes again and took a few deep breaths until the pain faded away. Then she looked around, finally realizing where she was.

_ There’s glitter on the floor after the party _

The place was a huge mess. There were empty and half-empty glasses on tables everywhere, some with their contents spilled to the floor, mixing with the glitter that was sticking to every surface. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Natasha tip-toeing towards the lifts.

_ Girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby _

She got up, stumbling a little, and she brought her fingertips to her temples. She walked over to the bar to pour herself a glass of water. Before she got there, her eyes laid upon a small pile of photographs stained with candle wax.

_ Candlewax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor _

She crouched down and picked them up with a curious smile upon seeing two people on them, looking very happy together. But when she realized who they were, she gulped.

_ You and me from the night before, but _

“Oooh no,” she whispered. “No no no no no…”

She was one of the people on the photographs. The other one was the person she had been wishing to be with for  _ ages _ , but now that she actually saw them together, she was terrified. In her mind, she went back to last night, praying that she wouldn’t find anything too embarrassing.

_ She was sitting on the sofa, a glass of punch in her hand. She was watching the dance floor with very little interest, but both of the girls were long gone – Wanda left with Vision earlier and Nat was probably trying to seduce Bruce. She was left alone with her nerves. She had been meaning to tell Loki about her feelings for so long, and now that she finally got the perfect chance, her anxiety was all over the place. _

_ Suddenly, she spotted Loki making his way towards her. _

_ “Speak of the devil,” she thought and took another sip of the now barely lukewarm punch. She was beginning to feel a little lightheaded, her fingers buzzing slightly. _

_ “What’s a pretty lady like you doing here all alone like that?” he asked with a cheeky smile. She rolled her eyes playfully, trying to hide her nervosity. _

_ “Ha ha ha,” she grinned. “Funny. Why are you not showing off those moves of yours? Doesn’t the dance floor suffer without your incredible presence?” _

_ “Now you’re making me blush,” he chuckled, sitting by her side. “What are you drinking?” _

_ “Punch,” she replied. “But it’s cold now, so it’s not really great. I’ll go get another one.” _

_ She stood up a little bit too quickly and she lost her balance, falling inevitably to the ground. Luckily, Loki managed to catch her before she could hurt herself. _

_ “I don’t think you should,” he told her as he sat her back down. “I’ll keep you company, is that alright?” _

_ “Yeah, sure,” she nodded. “God, I’m so sorry. I look like a fool now.” _

_ “No you don’t, you look great,” he said dismissively.  _

_ “T-that’s not what I meant,” she shook her head, blushing. “But thank you. Y-you look great too. I really like that suit on you.” _

_ “Why thank you,” he smiled. _

_ They talked for a while, about silly little things, laughing a lot. They also took a bunch of photos on Steve’s Polaroid camera that he happened to have left on the coffee table. Y/N’s heart did a sommer sault every time their knees bumped into each other or when his hand grazed hers.  _

_ “Only twenty seconds until midnight!” someone yelled. The pair looked at each other, Loki’s eyes full of excitement, hers full of uncertainty. _

_ “What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing it. _

_ “C-can I,” she stammered. “Can I k-kiss you when the c-clock strikes t-twelve? I-it’s a tradition, I’m sure s-someone t-told you already, uh, of c-course you can say n-no, I was just wondering-” _

_ “Ten! Nine! Eight!” someone started counting down and the whole room joined. _

_ “Of course you can,” he nodded. “If it’s a tradition, then I don’t see why not.” _

_ “Seven! Six! Five!” _

_ “A-alright,” her face felt as if it were on fire and her head was spinning around violently now. Her heart was pounding in her chest, making her worried it would burst out. _

_ “Four! Three! Two!” the joy in the room was escalating. “One!” _

_ Without thinking, she leaned closer, closed her eyes and placed her lips on his, her free hand on his cheek. He kissed her back and all she could think about was that his lips tasted of champagne, intoxicating her even more. Her nerves finally eased and she just gave in to the feelings, trusting her instincts. She felt his hands on her back, pulling her closer. She decided to make her move, biting down on his lip ever so slightly. _

_ “Y/N?” he asked when he pulled away just a tiny bit, their faces still close enough that if the light allowed it, she would have been able to count all the shades of blue in his eyes. “Is this still the tradition?” _

_ “Not exactly,” she whispered. “Loki, I… I’m… I have…” _

_ “Y/N, I believe it’s the punch talking, not you,” he said softly, moving his hands away. There was a hint of pain in his voice. _

_ “No, no, well yes, I would never have the guts to tell you if I was completely sober,” she blurted out. “But I really, really, really like you. A-and… uh… I just…” _

_ She noticed the look on his face and immediately started regretting her actions. _

_ “O-oh, I’m so sorry, fuck, I… I just ruined the whole night, didn’t I?” she felt tears burning in her eyes. “For fuck’s sake, I’m such an idiot, I’m so so sorry, I… I guess you can’t just forget about this, can you? Fuck!” _

_ “Y/N-” _

_ She got up from the couch before he could finish his sentence and got lost among the crowd on the dance floor.  _

_ For the rest of the night, she didn’t see him. Or at least didn’t remember seeing him. She was responsible for the rest of the punch vanishing. _

“Oh fuck,” she mumbled to herself when she remembered the details. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Her butt hit the floor and she let out a painful hiss. It did not hurt as much as her ego did at the moment. “I’m such an idiot. Goddammit.”

“So you’re awake,” she heard the familiar smooth voice of her friend. “Finally.”

“Oh, Loki, hi,” she turned around nervously. “Listen, about last night-”

“Don’t, Y/N, please,” he shook his head and sat beside her. “Don’t apologize for it. If… like you said, it wasn’t the alcohol talking, then…”

“Then what?” she frowned.

_ Don’t read the last page _

Instead of saying anything, he gently put his hands on the sides of her face and leaned in, kissing her tenderly. He pulled away almost immediately.

“I really, really, really like you too,” he smiled.

_ But I stay _

“D-do you?” she breathed. “Really?”

_ When you’re lost and I’m scared _

_ And you’re turning away _

“Yes,” he nodded and kissed her again. “I just could not believe  _ you _ would. That’s why I was like that yesterday. I’m sorry I scared you away, I didn’t mean to.”

Y/N chuckled and opened her arms, offering him a hug. He gladly accepted it, nesting his head in the crook of her neck and she did the same. They stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying each other’s presence.

_ I want your midnights _

_ But I’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day _


	8. Dancing's Not A Crime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Courtesy of imagine-loki on Tumblr:
> 
> Imagine you are a member of the Avengers. Energetic but a very clumsy person, always listening to music with your headphones and dancing in every situation, even if there are people around you. You are always an optimist, at least you try, and the team is very grateful for that. Every time you meet Loki at the Stark Tower, you try to smile it him, but he always rolls his eyes at you. You think he hates you, but the truth is he thinks that you are the most beautiful person he has ever seen. You are his ray of sunshine, but he is just too shy to admit it.
> 
> One day, you are listening to music and dancing while cooking and you see Loki walking towards you.l YOu try to take off the headphones when you see him talking but you can't. With his powers, he makes sure the headphones are stuck on your head as he confesses his love for you, all the while you keep screaming at him that you can't hear him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending is a bit of a mess, but I'm sure you guys can handle it for the sake of cuteness. Also, I think this somehow manages to be a pretty gender-neutral story, so anyone can enjoy it :)
> 
> Y/N/N = your nickname

Bright. That was the word that came to everybody’s mind when they thought of you. A bright goofball of energy. Your smile rarely faded from your face, it seemed that you had an inexhaustible supply of happiness somewhere within.

Wherever you went, music was always surrounding you, playing a bit too loudly from your headphones. It was like you had your own private orchestra to announce your arrival, but not in a dramatic way. It was usually a song that made you want to dance, which you did without giving one single damn about the people around. You truly lived by the words  _ dance like nobody’s watching. _ True, you were no suave, elegant dancer, you just somehow flailed around to the rhythm of the song you happened to be listening to. It brought smiles to the other Avengers’ faces every time and even when you lost your balance – which happened quite often actually – and they had to rush over to save you, making sure you were okay, they were happy to have you as their friend and teammate. When someone was feeling under the weather, you were there to listen to them ramble about their problems and to cheer them up afterward. Be it by sharing your hidden stash of chocolate with them, watching their favourite film with them or making them sing their favourite song while dancing with you, you always succeeded.

When Thor brought his brother to join the team, the others warned you that he might not be as open to your friendliness as they were. But you just scoffed and waltzed into the lobby where he was supposed to be. As you approached him, you took your headphones off and hung them around your neck.

“Hi! I’m Y/F/N,” you flashed him a bright smile as you extended your right hand for him to shake. “But please, call me Y/N/N.”

“I… I’m Loki,” he was obviously taken aback by your unexpected warmth but did shake your hand.

“Great to meet you!” you replied. “If you ever need me, you’ll probably have to ask JARVIS where I am, because I move around a lot. Your best bet is the kitchen though.”

“That’s good to know,” he nodded. He seemed quite confused.

“Well, I won’t bother you anymore, I’m sure you have tons of things to do, moving in and stuff,” you told him. “I’m looking forward to working with you!”

And with that, you put your headphones back on and danced away. Loki stood in his place, stunned.

“Lady Y/N/N is very friendly as you noticed,” Thor grinned. “And does not care what the rest thinks about her. It is rather admirable.”

“Indeed,” Loki mumbled mindlessly.

Life went on, not much has changed for you since. There was just one more person to greet and smile at when you bumped into him. The others seemed to be right about him though – he never returned the smile. He usually just scoffed, sometimes he rolled his eyes too. It made your own smile fade just a little bit in the beginning, but as time passed, you remembered that you didn’t need his approval. You were happy as you were and the opinion of one nosey man didn’t matter to you. That didn’t stop you from being nice to him though, you kept saying hi to him, waving at him when he was on the other side of the room, low-key hoping in the back of your mind that someday, he would say hello too. It never happened, but you couldn’t care less. The rest of the team couldn’t understand how you could keep being friendly when he was being such an arse and on more than one occasion, they had some not very nice words to say to him about it. Natasha was the first one to realise what was actually going on and never stopped teasing him about it. Even in front of you, just to make him blush – it was not like you were going to hear. Pretty quickly, the rest of the team caught up too, all except you. You were too busy listening to your music and dancing stupidly.

And of course, they kept bugging him to do something about the situation. Every time you two happened to be in the same room and he did the annoyed eye-roll, they gave him the sternest look the world has ever seen. You noticed that a few times, but you just assumed they were scolding him for being mean. Loki thought it was better off that way.

“You need to do something about it,” Natasha told him as they were walking from the gym.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Loki shook his head.

“Tell her!” she insisted, rolling her eyes. “What’s the worst thing that could happen? It’s not like she would get offended or anything. You literally have nothing to lose. If she doesn’t like you back, maybe you could at least be friends.”

“You’re not making any sense,” he rolled his eyes and turned away from her, blushing.

“Aw, you’re blushing!” Nat giggled. “So in love.”

“Stop it,” he growled and quickened his pace, all flustered. He walked to the kitchen, freezing in the doorway when he saw you there, your back facing him as you kneaded some kind of dough, swaying your hips to the rhythm of an unheard melody.

“You’re staring,” Clint’s voice suddenly whispered right next to his ear. He winced and glared at him, walking over to the window, resting against it and looking outside.

“What’s going on?” Clint asked when Natasha caught up. “Does he still refuse to admit he likes her?”

“Yeah,” she nodded.

“I don’t!” he snapped at them, quickly checking if you didn’t hear anything. But you were still doing your thing, now swishing your hair around as well and lip-syncing to the song. It made Loki’s lips curl up in a smile. How could someone always shine so brightly?

“You absolutely do, you’re head over heels for her, you moron!” Clint chuckled and walked over to him. “Go on. Tell her you like her. She won’t get pissed or anything, you know she won’t. Just tell her!”

“Yeah, tell her, Reindeer Games!” Nat joined in. “Come on!”

“Leave me alone,” he rolled his eyes and resumed in looking outside. He heard another person walk in, Bucky. He waved at you and you smiled in return but did not turn the other way to see the group.

“What’s up?” Bucky asked them. “Why are you stalking Y/N like that?”

“We’re trying to make him confess his love for her,” Nat grinned.

“James, please help me out of this hell,” Loki pleaded him.

“What, you think I believe your bullshit?” Bucky smirked. “You’re in love with her and you know it.”

Loki stayed silent this time, staring outside firmly.

“Tell her!” Bucky said. “Seriously, you should. It’s just a matter of time when she sees through those stupid eye-rolls. She’s not an idiot.”

“There’s nothing to be said,” he defended himself weakly.

“Here’s the deal,” Nat moved so she was looking him directly in the eyes. “You go over there and tell her how you feel. If she tells you off, you win and nothing happens. If she likes you back and agrees to go on a date with you, we win and help you prepare the best date ever. It’s a win-win situation for you anyway. Deal?” she offered him a hand to shake. Loki thought for a minute but then nodded, a plan forming in his head.

“Deal,” he replied and shook her hand.

“Oh my God oh my God oh my God oh my God yes,” Clint squealed. “It’s finally happening. Oh my god. Oh my God”

“I can’t wait to see that,” Bucky folded his arms on his chest and sat on the table. Loki took a deep breath and began walking towards you. He secretly waved his hand slightly, enchanting the headphones on your head. When he was close enough for you to notice him, he began speaking. You turned around and tried to take the headphones off with a smile, but they were stuck.

“Lady Y/N/N, I know that I haven’t been exactly kind to you in the past months, but…” he began, but all you could hear was  _ You’re guilty as charged, guilty as charged _

“What? I can’t… this is stuck, I don’t get it-” you yelled over the music that was as loud as ever.

“Hold on, you’re cheating!” Nat exclaimed from the corner. “That’s not fair!”

“But the truth is, it was my way of disguising the truth…” he continued.

_ We could be waltzin’ _

_ But darlin’ don’t be throwing shade now _

“I can’t… what’s happening? I’m sorry, I can’t hear you!” you repeated. “I’m trying… could you help me?”

“That bastard,” Bucky smirked.

“A strange way, I must admit, because I might have hurt your feelings, for which I apologise,” he said sort of sheepishly.

_ Don’t call me Saint California if you’re at another altar _

_ Just gimme your vows, gimme your vows yeah _

“I swear to God I’m trying…” you mumbled, trying your best to get the headphones down.

“Because the truth is, I’ve been greatly admiring you and your optimism and your beauty,” his voice trembled despite knowing you couldn’t hear him.

_ You can’t take me anywhere, anywhere _

_ You can’t take me anywhere, anywhere _

_ I’m still uninvited, I’m still gonna light it _

“Your smile is probably the most incredible thing in the whole of nine realms…”

_ I’m going insane and I don’t care _

_ Dancin’, dancin’ _

_ Dancin’ is not a crime _

“You know what, screw this,” you sighed, took the phone out of your pocket

“You enchanted me if that’s a way it can be described,” he seemed to hadn’t noticed what you just did. “Or maybe better put-”

…you unplugged the headphones from the phone.

“I fell for you, Lady Y/N/N,” he finished the sentence and noticed the sudden absence of the music. He watched in horror as your eyes widened in surprise, realising that you could now hear him, but unsure of how much you have heard.

“Oh, this is  _ way better  _ than I thought it would be,” Clint whispered and Bucky elbowed him in the ribs, making him whimper.

“I… I’m sorry, did you just say the words  _ I fell for you _ and then said my name?” you asked in utter astonishment. “But… I thought you hated me.”

“Well, I, uh, you know, um, it’s…” he stuttered furiously, his cheeks heating up. “I don’t… the thing is… I…”

Your lips began forming into a smile, a gorgeous smile that he learned to admire so much since the day he had met you. Your eyes lit up and tiny wrinkles formed around them, dimples in your cheeks. He sighed in defeat.

“W-would you like to… would you maybe accompany me to a… a dinner, perhaps?” he managed to say, not able to look you in the eyes.

“A date?” you asked curiously. “You’re asking me on a date?”

“Yes,” he mumbled. “I am.”

“I’d like that,” you nodded. “I would  _ really _ love that.”

“Really?” he finally looked at you.

“Yeah, absolutely! Let’s go on a date,” you chuckled.

“YES!” the three screamed in unison, making you wince. “FINALLY!”

It was now your turn to blush. “Have you been there the whole time?”

The group exchanged a look and without saying another word, they ran out of the kitchen as if their butts were on fire, laughing maniacally, leaving you two alone there, both of you a blushing mess.


	9. The Good Guys Dressed In Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki meets and falls in love with an MiB agent.

A woman in a smart black suit stood in line at a Starbucks not far away from the large concrete cube on Battery Drive. When her turn came, she was greeted by one of her favourite baristas, and they chatted for a moment as she handed him her thermos.

“It’s on us today,” the barista said and smiled, sending the cup towards the espresso bar.

“Aw, thanks Pete,” she smiled and moved over to the handoff. She rested against one of the tables beside it and waited, looking around the café mindlessly.

“Venti iced soy vanilla latté with an extra shot for…  _ Teetee _ ?” the barista at the handoff called, a confused frown on his face. She smirked and walked over to him, grabbing the cup.

“You’re new here, aren’t you?” she asked and the barista nodded. “Nice to meet you! I’m Double Tee, I’m here all the time.”

“I’m Luke,” he said. “You work in the cube, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” she nodded.

“Can you tell me-”

“Top secret organisation that deals with extraterrestrial threats.”

“For real?”

“Of course,” she grinned. “Now, if you would please look over here,” she pulled what appeared to be a pen from her pocket and put a pair of sunglasses on her eyes. She pressed a small button on the side of the device and it flashed brightly, he young man’s face turning completely blank. “Do yourself a favour and don’t ask questions that you don’t need an answer to. For your concern, I work for the government. Also, this is not soy. Please be more careful, someone could be allergic and you could get in trouble. I’m not, so I’ll just drink it, but I’ll be bitter the whole day because almond milk sucks. Have a good day, Luke.”

She turned around to leave, but as she was walking through the door, she bumped into someone that was coming in.

“Oh shit, fuck, I’m so sorry,” she blurted out as she watched the coffee spill on their shirt. “I really need to start closing the cup before I start walking, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s alright, nothing happened,” a smooth voice replied to her. She looked up and saw a face that she knew all too well from the screens all over the Headquarters.

“No, I… I just messed up your shirt, I’m really sorry,” she kept apologising. “I’ll buy you a coffee.”

“It really is alright,” he tried to assure her.

“Please, I insist,” she said, desperately trying to ignore those crystal blue eyes and the amused little smile. She practically dragged him to the cash desk and told him him to pick whatever he liked.

“It’s really not necessary,” he said.

“Yes it is,” she told him. “Pete, get this nice gentleman whatever he wishes, I’m paying,” she handed him a twenty dollar bill. “Keep the rest. I have to go to work now. Have a good day! And I’m sorry for spilling coffee on you.”

She crossed the street and walked in to the HQ, greeting Frank the talking pug and the Guard, who was just reading his newspaper as usual.

“You have coffee on your shirt,” Frank said in his disturbingly deep voice.

“I know, I was stupid and didn’t look where I was going.”

“As per usual,” the Guard grumbled.

“Funny as per usual,” she sneered back at him as she stepped into the lift. As it arrived in the office, she couldn’t help but smile. Her job was a fantastical adventure and she loved it. There was a line of aliens waiting for their documents to be verified over at the front desk. Another group of aliens walk/crawled/flew past her. There was Kay, showing some rookies around. Someone was putting up a fight.

“Double Tee! Are you running around neuralysing random people again?”

Yeah. That was the life. 

The following morning, as Double Tee entered the Starbucks and joined the queue, someone tapped her shoulder.

“Excuse me, aren’t you the lady that so kindly bought my drink yesterday?” the now familiar voice asked.

Double Tee chuckled. “Don’t you mean  _ the dumbass that spilled coffee on you yesterday _ ?”

“Well but you did buy me a drink afterwards, didn’t you?” he asked, a cheeky smile on his face.

“That I did,” she nodded.

“Let me return the favour,” he offered. “I’ll buy your coffee today.”

“Absolutely not! Yesterday was for… well, yesterday,” she shook her head. “I ruined your shirt, that’s why I bought your coffee. We’re even now.”

“What if I just really want to buy a coffee?” he suggested. “I… I heard that’s what men do when they find a woman attractive. I’m Loki.”

That was how it started. Every day, one of them bought the other their coffee. The next day, they switched. Double Tee knew she shouldn’t engage with a civilian, even less so with an alien, but God, was this one incredible in every way imaginable. They talked for hours on end, about virtually nothing. He respected her avoiding questions about her job and very politely pretended to be deaf when something slipped her lips. He caught on the fact that it had something to do with stars and excitedly talked about them, ocassionally mentioning that he missed them and that he couldn’t really see them in the city. She felt herself falling for him while the reasonable part of her brain screamed bloody murder about it being the worst idea in history. He was, after all, still listed as a potential threat, despite having joined the Avengers now.

One evening, it was fairly late, they sat together at the Starbucks with their coffees, Loki looking out the window wistfully.

“What’s wrong, El?” Double Tee asked. “You’re looking even sadder than normal.”

“Ha ha ha,” he glared at her. “I don’t want to be moaning about this stuff.”

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” she said.

Loki let out a sigh. “I told you about my mother, didn’t I?”

“You did, yes,” she nodded. “She died, didn’t she?”

“Yes,” he said. “And… I can’t see her star.”

“What?”

“On Asgard, when someone dies, their soul goes up to the sky and becomes a star. But… I can’t see hers from here. I can barely see any, to be honest.”

Double Tee thought for a brief moment. “Do you trust me?” she asked.

“Of course I do, why?” he frowned.

“Come with me,” she said, downed the rest of her coffee and stood up. “Come on.”

Confused, he stood as well and followed her outside, across the road, into the Headquarters. She greeted the Guardian and Frank as usual, mumbling something vague about a witness. Loki’s curious face made them believe her lie, so they said nothing. In the lift, Double Tee pressed a button that said  _ garage _ and down they went. She led Loki all the way to the back where a small, unsuspecting motorcycle was parked.

“Do you  _ really  _ trust me?” she asked again as she opened what appeared to be a closet.

“I really do, but what-”

“No time for questions,” she interrupted him. “Put this on,” she threw a leather jacket at him and got herself the same one. “And this,” she handed him a helmet. “We’re going on a tiny little trip,” she told him as she sat on the motorcycle. Loki took a breath to ask her something, but decided against, and sat right behind her.

“I need you to hold on tight,” she said.

“On to what?” he asked.

“Me, dumbass,” she chuckled. 

“That doesn’t sound very safe,” he pointed out. 

“It’s completely safe, don’t worry,” she dismissed him. “It’s an MIB certified vehicle, it’s safer than like… all normal cars.”

“MI what?”

Instead of replying, Double Tee started the motorcycle and Loki could only clutch on to her quickly as they left the garage. They soared through the ever so busy streets of New York, zigzagging through the traffic like it was nothing. Double Tee was way too aware of Loki’s arms around her waist, but did her best to ignore them.

As they left the city and got off the main road, Double Tee slowed down for a moment.

“Do you  _ seriously  _ trust me?” she asked once more having to shout Alittle to make sure he heard her.

“The fact that this is the third time you asked me in the span of thirty minutes makes me seriously question it,” he said. “But I still do.”

“Then hold on a little tighter and feel free to scream,” she said and pushed a tiny button on the side of the right handlebar. 

“What-”

Too late. The motorcycle went about twenty times faster now, the roaring of the engine deafening them. In a few moments, they could both feel the wheels leaving the ground and the motorcycle went flying through the night. When it got high enough, the engine quietened again and switched itself into flight mode.

“You can let go of me now,” Double Tee said.

“No, I don’t think I will,” Loki shook his head, but loosened his grip on her a little. “What in the nine realms-”

“You can’t tell anyone about this, alright?” she said. “Never. Ever. This is a secret, okay?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded. “But what-”

“Men in Black. That’s who I work for,” she interrupted him again. “A top-secret agency. We deal with aliens and stuff. This is… our tech. Well, not exactly, it’s alien mostly. But it has some Stark Industries parts.”

“Stark knows about all this?”

“God, no.”

“And why exactly are you telling me this now?”

“I wanted to show you the stars. Push the little button on the right on the helmet, you’ll see better.”

With a shaky hand, Loki found the button and pressed it, his helmet opening and jaw dropping. The chilly wind made prickly tears flood his eyes and blur his vision, making the beauty above him barely recognisable. He blinked a few times and everything came to focus, but new tears replaced them, this time emotional ones. The last time he saw this much beauty was back on Asgard, where he used to sit on his window and just stare at the night sky for hours. He tried to find his mother’s star, but couldn’t see it in the speed.

“Don’t worry, we’re gonna land soon,” she said as if reading his thoughts. “Just a few more minutes.”

In that moment, a tiny red light started blinking on the inside of her helmet. An incoming call. Her brain went into panic mode and in the frenzy, she sent it to voice mail, hoping that whoever was calling would think she was busy escaping from something.

They landed on top of a small hill, in the middle of a thin forest. Double Tee switched the motorcycle off and took off her helmet. She turned to Loki, noticing the tears that stained his cheeks.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry, did I- did I do something wrong?” she asked.

“No,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s perfect,” he added, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Don’t mention it,” she whispered as she nuzzled into his neck. “But you know, you’re missing out on the stars right now. Wanna climb a tree?”

In just a few moments, they sat atop a giant oak, watching the stars.

“What’s your real name?” Loki asked.

“Double Tee,” she said. “It’s my official name now. I don’t really exist anymore.”

“So… what  _ was  _ your name?” he wondered.

“Theresa-Taylor Barnes,” she said.

“Barnes?” he frowned. 

“Distant relative,” she nodded, knowing exactly what he was about to ask. “Poor uncle James. How is he?”

“He’s… he’s fine, I think,” Loki said. “I think we’re good friends, but I’m not really sure.”

“I’d tell you to say hi to him, but… he doesn’t know me. He’s not supposed to know me. No one is.”

“Then why-”

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I should have never started talking to you, but I just… couldn’t help it.”

“It must be quite lonely,” he pointed out.

“In a way,” she agreed mindlessly. “I… I suppose I have the other agents, but familiarity isn’t really a big thing there. We’re just colleagues mostly. We don’t… we’re not like you guys.”

“Us?”

“The Avengers. Aren’t you this really cool team that’s real good friends? Doesn’t Stark always organise these parties where you all drink and dance and shit?” 

“I suppose.”

“Must be cool.”

He took a pause. “I could… introduce you.”

“No,” she shook her head. “Not a good idea. I’m not supposed to be friends with anyone, ever. If someone finds out about you, I’m toast.”

“Is it really that bad?”

“I don’t know. And I don’t think I want to know.”

None of them said anything for a moment. 

“Theresa-Taylor?”

“Don’t,” she mumbled. “It’s a stupid name. Call me Terry if you really want to.”

“Terry,” he tried again. “It doesn’t really suit you.”

“It’s been years since someone called me that,” she smiled. “It doesn’t even sound right anymore, but it’s nice to hear it.”

“What if I called you  _ mine  _ instead?” he suggested. Double Tee’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“You’re amazing. You took a huge risk taking me here just to make me feel better. You’re the only person who gets me. You’re funny, you’re smart, you’re kind, you’re…” he took a deep breath. “You’re the best person I have ever met. I’m in love with you, Terry.”

“El, I-”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he interrupted her. “I just… wanted to get it out of my system.”

With her eyes full of tears, she leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. He looked at her for a moment, then turned his head ever so slightly and closed the remaining space between them. It was only for the shortest moment, but it still felt as if time had stopped.

When they separated again, Loki gently put a strand of Double Tee’s hair behind her ear. “Don’t cry, darling,” he whispered, hugging her tight.

“This shouldn’t be,” she sobbed. “I shouldn’t have feelings for you. I’m so screwed.”

“No you’re not,” he said. “No one has to know.”

But then-

“Double Tee and Loki, sitting in a tree,” they heard from below them. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

They flinched and look down, only to see two other agents, Jay and Kay.

“Man, I never thought I’d get to sing that again,” Jay snickered.

“Get down here, Double Tee,” Kay said, his arms crossed on his chest. “You too, sir.” 

Double Tee sighed and jumped off the branch, landing on her feet but nearly falling over.

“Are you out of your mind?” Kay asked.

“Kay, wait,” Jay stopped him, noticing her puffy red eyes. “What’s wrong, girl? Is he hurting you?”

“Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine,” she snapped back. “Loki’s not… hurting me.”

“Then why are you crying?” he frowned.

“Because you are going to neuralyse him, aren’t you? You’re gonna take my only friend away from me.”

“You sure you guys are just friends?”

“Jay. Focus,” Kay scolded him. “You know the rules, Double Tee. No relationships with the outside world. And  _ especially _ not stealing an MiB vehicle to go for a ride with the outside world. You of all people-”

“Me of all people!” she exclaimed. “Me of all people is sick of this! Me of all people is  _ tired _ of not having anyone for myself! Me of all people is-”

“Lonely,” Jay finished for her. Double Tee gulped and nodded, noticing Kay’s face softening ever so slightly.

“We’ve all been there,” he said. “Sooner or later. Everyone gets lonely. And… sometimes falls in love with an alien.”

“That doesn’t sound stupid at all,” Jay mumbled.

“Point is,” Kay glared at him. “We just move on.”

“No,” Double Tee whimpered. “Don’t take it away from me. Please, Kay. I’m the happiest I have ever been.”

“You know the rules, Double Tee,” he insisted. “We have to neuralyse him and suspend you.”

“Kay, wait,” Jay interrupted him once more. “Look at her. You really want to break her? Maybe we could come up with something. He’s not really the  _ outside world,  _ is he? He’s kind of one of us when you think about it.”

A spark of hope lightened Double Tee’s features. “Please, Kay.”

The older agent thought for a moment. “Fine. But if Oh finds out, you’re toast, understood?”

“Thank you!” she let out a sigh of relief. 

“We’ll still have to suspend you for the bike though,” he said. “We’ll take you both back.”

Double Tee turned to Loki behind her and smiled. “We’re okay,” she whispered, reaching for his hand. He returned the smile and entwined his fingers with hers.

“Aw, man, look at how cute they are!” Jay said.


	10. The Good Guys Dressed In Black (Part Two)

The ride back to the city was quiet, except for Jay constantly turning to the backseat to gawk at the couple. Loki sat next to the window while Double Tee cuddled to to him, her head on his shoulder, half asleep. Loki was smiling and gently rubbing circles on the back of Double Tee’s hand with his thumb. Jay always giggled a little, making Loki’s cheeks turn more and more pink each time. Double Tee dozed off and started drooling, but Loki pretended not to know. 

“Well, this is your stop, Loki,” Kay said after a while as he parked the car in front of the Avengers HQ. “I hope you understand the importance of not telling anyone about anything you have seen tonight.”

“Absolutely,” he nodded. “Thank you… for letting us stay together. It truly means a lot.”

“You should wake her up so she can kiss you goodbye,” Jay said.

“Jay,” Kay rolled his eyes.

“What? I’m right!” Jay smirked. “Besides, he couldn’t even get up.”

“Why are you yelling?” Double Tee asked groggily, lifting her head up. “Where are we?”

“We’re outside our building,” Loki said. “I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Of course,” she nodded, smiling. “Same time as always.”

Loki unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door.

“Jesus, did I drool on you?” Double Tee asked upon noticing the wet stain. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s alright,” he chuckled. “You looked very adorable while doing it.”

Double Tee blushed a deep crimson. “Please don’t say anything as stupid as this ever again.”

“Can’t promise you that,” he mumbled and lightly kissed the corner of her mouth before leaving the car. “Good night, darling.”

“Good night,” she whispered as the door closed.

“You really are the cutest couple I’ve seen in my entire life, no lies,” Jay said.

“Shut up,” she said, barely audible, and brought her knees up to her chin. “You bringing me home now?”

“No, to the HQ,” Kay shook his head as he started the car again. “Oh wants to see you over the trouble you got yourself into.”

“But… you will tell her that you think it’s okay for me to keep seeing him, right?” she asked.

“We’ll do our best,” Kay said. “I’m sure Oh will understand.”

“And if not, we’ll figure out a way,” Jay added, earning a glare from Kay. “How long have you guys been a thing?”

“Like an hour,” she mumbled. “He… we just told each other about our feelings when you got there.”

“We ruined your big moment?!” Jay gasped. “Man, that sucks!”

“A little,” she smirked.

“But you’ve known each other for like… a while, right?”

“A few months,” she said. “I spilled coffee on him and we became friends. Kind of.”

“You really like him, don’t you?” Kay asked.

“Yeah,” she blushed. “He’s… he’s amazing. He’s really kind and thoughtful, he makes me laugh, he… he just makes me happy, that’s it.”

“And he’s quite a looker, isn’t he,” Kay added with a smirk, raising both Jay’s and Double Tee’s eyebrows. “What?”

“Didn’t know you were into that,” Jay snickered.

“I’m not into anything, Jesus,” Kay rolled his eyes. “I’m just saying he’s an attractive man, everyone says that. Even Oh said he’s nice to look at, definitely more than most of the other aliens.”

“Watch out, Double Tee, Kay is on his way to steal your man,” Jay said, making Double Tee burst out laughing.

“Grow up,” Kay groaned.

“Well he’s definitely closer to his age than I am,” Double Tee mumbled and it was now Jay’s turn to laugh hysterically.

“He’s all yours, Double Tee, don’t worry,” Kay grumbled, but there was an amused smile on his face.

By the time both Jay and Double Tee calmed down, Kay pulled in to the garage of the MiB headquarters.

“You should put on a serious face before we go see Oh,” Jay said as they led her to the office. “If she sees you’re not taking this seriously, she’s not gonna let you see him again.”

“What do you think she’s gonna do?” Double Tee asked.

“Probably suspend you for a few weeks,” Kay said. “Or maybe have you do desk duty.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Double Tee replied.

“You’ve never been on desk duty, have you?” Jay smirked. “It’s a nightmare.”

“But it’s necessary,” Kay refuted. “Come on, Oh is waiting.”

Oh was angry. Very angry. Her voice was calm and collected, but her eyes burned holes into Double Tee’s skull. Jay rushed to her aid, making sure Oh wouldn’t jump on her throat. Luckily, it didn’t take long - Oh allowed Double Tee to explain herself with Jay interrupting occasionally and then took a deep breath, trying to process it all.

“So you’re telling me that you’re in a relationship with someone from the outside,” she said. “Which is strictly forbidden.”

“Well, he’s not really  _ from the outside,  _ is he?” Double Tee said. “He is a part of the system.”

“He’s not,” Oh shook her head. “He’s under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s protection, not ours.”

The name of the organisation elicited an annoyed groan from all three agents.

“What do  _ they  _ know?” Jay asked, rolling his eyes.

“Apart from blowing their own cover constantly?” Oh smirked. “They’re useless. I honestly have no idea what they think they’re going to accomplish with the Asgardians. But it’s been going on for too long for us to take over. Besides, we would have to neuralyse pretty much the whole world.”

“But… you are going to let me see him, right?”

“I’m not sure how to do it in line with the rules,” Oh sighed. “And exceptions are the way to total anarchy.”

“Oh, wait,” Jay spoke up again. “There’s got to be a way, right? It’s not like she’s seeing some random accountant named Joe. Loki is a person who is  _ supposed _ to be under our jurisdiction.”

“I really want to help you, but I’m not sure how,” Oh sighed. “You know what, Double Tee, I’ll assign you for archive duty for a month. I’ll try to think of something in the meantime. I can’t promise anything though.”

“That’s better than nothing,” Double Tee smiled. “Thank you.”

“Glad to help,” Oh said. “Now, off you go, the archive is waiting for you.”

xxx

“This is a  _ fucking nightmare _ !” Double Tee groaned about five hours later that she had spent trying to find her way around the labyrinth of shelves. “Who the  _ fuck _ leaves a fucking  _ bowl of soup _ in the fucking  _ archive _ ?”

“Serves you right for being a reckless dickhead,” the archivist told her. 

“What do you know,” she rolled her eyes. “Can I at least get myself a cup of coffee? I’m exhausted.”

“You’re not leaving this room until you’re done with this,” he told her, pointing to the pile of documents (or trash, as she called them).

“But that’s gonna take days!” she groaned. 

“Serves you-”

“Will you shut up!” she interrupted him. “That’s the seventh time you told me this. Shut. Up.”

“Jeez, someone’s on edge,” Jay’s voice said from behind her. “Let her take a break, Ef.”

“She’s not leaving,” he insisted. 

“Fine then,” Jay sighed. “I’ll bring you coffee at least. What was it that you drink?”

“Soy latté with vanilla,” she replied. “Two extra shots this time, and if they could add more vanilla, that would be great. Otherwise I’ll die. I have my cup in my locker.”

“You think the Starbucks will be open now?” Jay raised his eyebrow.

“It’s open 24 hours,” she told him. “Do you want me to write it down for you?”

“Nah, I’m good,” he shook his head. “Didn’t you tell Loki you’d meet him there?”

“Oh, right,” she realised. “If… if he’s there, tell him I won’t make it and that I’m sorry. I don’t know when Ef’s gonna let me out, so he shouldn’t wait for me. I’ll try to show up as soon as possible.”

“Want me to give him a kiss from you?”

“Don’t be a dick,” she chuckled.

“I’m just being nice,” he shrugged innocently. “Anything else you need? Want me to walk your dog and pop by the dry cleaner's?”

“Ha ha ha,” she rolled her eyes. “Just the coffee and Loki. If he’s not there, just… I don’t know, write it on a napkin and ask the baristas to give it to him.”

“Romantic,” he mumbled. “See you.”

xxx

A few days passed before Double Tee was allowed to leave the archive and the building. For this short time, she ate, showered and slept in the HQ, sometimes even among the unending shelves.

“Norns, what are they doing to you over there?” Loki asked when they finally got to meet one morning. Dark circles framed her tired eyes that she could barely hold open, her hair was all over the place and her clothes were not nearly as well ironed as they usually were. Her hands trembled from the amount of caffeine she had been consuming.

“Nothing,” she said as she gulped her black coffee, burning her mouth. “I’m just stuck in the archive. It’s exhausting.”

“All that just for borrowing a vehicle?” he frowned.

“Mostly for letting someone from the outside in,” she sighed. 

“But they  _ are _ going to let us see each other, right?” he asked.

“Don’t know yet,” she shook her head. “Oh said that she’ll try to come up with something while I’m in the archive.”

Loki stayed silent. “And if she doesn’t?”

“No, don’t,” shook her head. “Don’t say that. She will. I know it.”

“I want to know,” he insisted. “What happens if no one figures out what to do with us?”

Double Tee sighed. “Then you’ll have to be neuralysed. You’ll forget we ever met. And I’ll… have to move on.”

Loki watched her face in silence. “I don’t think I could ever forget you.”

“It won’t be your choice,” she shook her head, tears falling from her eyes. “They’ll flash a light at you and I’ll vanish into nothing. Not even an echo of me will remain.”

“And you’ll have to live with that?” he frowned.

“Yes,” she sobbed. “That’s why it scares me so much.”

“Darling,” he reached for her hands. “If this happens, please promise me you’ll have them neuralyse yourself too. I don’t want you to be sad.”

“If they let me, I won’t hesitate for a second,” she agreed. “Even though it’s going to hurt forgetting you.”

“But when it’s done, you won’t know it,” he said. “You’ll be happy again.”

Double Tee smiled bitterly. “God, I never thought I’d have to deal with something like this. I thought I’d just run around and take care of aliens. Maybe stop the apocalypse a few times.”

“Well this is a bit of an apocalypse, isn’t it,” Loki chuckled, rubbing her hands with his thumbs. “But we’re talking like this is goodbye. I believe your colleagues will find a way.”


End file.
